PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — A surging Penn squad looks to continue its climb up the Ivy League standings when it hosts a struggling Cornell team at The Palestra on Friday night. The Quakers (12-6) have won three of their last four, including a dominant 64-37 road victory at Yale last Saturday. Guard Simone Sawyer led the way with 18 points in that win, highlighting a strong stretch where she has averaged 16.3 points over her last three contests. Penn’s defense has been key, holding opponents to an average of 47.3 points during its current three-game win streak. Cornell (7-11) enters on a three-game skid, most recently suffering an 84-38 home loss to Harvard. The Big Red have struggled offensively in conference play, failing to reach 50 points in three of their last five games. They will lean on guard Emily Pape, who has shown flashes of high production with games of 19 and 14 points in Ivy wins over Columbia and Dartmouth earlier this month. Replicating that form against a stout Penn defense will be critical. The matchup pits teams on opposite trajectories. Penn sits firmly in the upper tier of the conference, while Cornell seeks to stabilize its season. The Quakers won both meetings last season by an average of 22.5 points. Historically, Penn holds a commanding advantage in the series and will look to use its defensive intensity and more balanced scoring to protect its home court. For Cornell, reversing its recent offensive woes and finding consistent support for Pape is the immediate challenge. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. EST at The Palestra. Penn remains at home to face Columbia on Saturday, while Cornell travels to face Princeton.