Lycoming News

The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team is set to participate in the Cathedral Classic Invitational at The Palestra this Thanksgiving weekend. This event will feature a four-team lineup including Elon, Maine, and Navy alongside the Quakers. Scheduled as a three-day tournament, doubleheaders are planned for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Friday's matches begin with Elon facing Maine at 2 p.m., followed by Penn taking on Navy at 4:30 p.m. On Saturday, Elon plays Navy at 2 p.m., while Penn goes against Maine at 4:30 p.m. The final day sees Navy versus Maine at noon and Penn meeting Elon at 2:30 p.m.

All games can be viewed on ESPN+, a subscription service that provides coverage of Ivy League events. Additionally, fans can listen to the games through the Quaker Audio Network (QAN), where Matt Leon will provide play-by-play commentary with analysis from Brad Fadem.

This marks the third consecutive year that Penn has participated in this invitational since its inception in 2022. In their debut year, the Quakers achieved a perfect record with victories over Hartford, Colgate, and Delaware. Last season they went 2-1 after securing wins against Lafayette and Monmouth but falling to Belmont in overtime.

The series between Penn and Navy is notable as it marks their 86th encounter, with Penn leading historically by 59-26. Meanwhile, this tournament presents the first-ever matchup between Penn and Maine. Against Elon, Penn has previously played two successful games back in 2007.

Penn's roster for this season includes three new transfers: Ethan Roberts from Drake (formerly Army), Dylan Williams from Triton College, and Michael Zanoni from Mercer. Seven players return having scored double figures during their college careers.

Fans interested in following updates on the team's progress can do so via @PennMBB on X (formerly Twitter) or visit PennAthletics.com for more information.