Penn Holds Off Howard 78-65 at Palestra
Penn overcame a 15-1 early deficit to beat Howard at the Palestra in its season home opener.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Basketball
Penn men's basketball defeated Howard 78-65 at the Palestra on Nov. 10, 2026, after trailing 15-1 early. TJ Power led Penn with 23 points, shooting 6-for-12 from three-point range.
Why it matters
The win came after Penn opened the season with a 42-point loss to Illinois, and it shows the team's ability to recover from a slow start. For Philadelphia basketball fans, the result offers an early read on a Penn team still finding its footing.
Penn shot 42% from three-point range and made its first seven threes of the second half, with TJ Power going 6-for-12 from deep. Penn outrebounded Howard 22-16 after halftime, though the full-game rebounding split was not reported.
The players
TJ Power
TJ Power is a Penn men's basketball player who led the team with 23 points against Howard.
Sir Mohammed
Sir Mohammed is a Penn men's basketball player who scored 17 points and shot 8-for-11 from the free-throw line against Howard.
The details
Penn fell behind 15-1 early before Power scored 15 points in the first six minutes of the second half to spark the comeback. Penn also forced six points off Howard turnovers after the break and drew fouls that put Howard into the bonus seven minutes into the half, with Sir Mohammed scoring 17 points and shooting 8-for-11 from the line.
Timeline
Nov. 10, 2026: Penn defeats Howard 78-65 at the Palestra.
Nov. 11, 2026: Penn plays Navy in Annapolis, Md.
Season Trajectory
Penn's 42-point opening-night loss to Illinois set a difficult early tone for the season. The 78-65 win over Howard shows the Quakers can respond after a bad start, though Howard's 1-2 record means the result carries limited weight in the wider Ivy League picture.
Penn's next game against Navy on Nov. 11 will show whether the Quakers can keep the three-point shooting and second-half rebounding that carried the Howard win. Fantasy and betting followers tracking Power and Mohammed will have a fresh box score to weigh before that trip.
The takeaway
Penn's win shows the value of second-half adjustments, as the team cut a 15-1 deficit and pulled away after halftime. Readers following the program should watch whether those adjustments hold on the road against Navy.
What happens next
Penn plays Navy in Annapolis, Md., on Nov. 11, 2026.
Further reading
For more on the local hoops scene, see Philadelphia Basketball coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Former Penn President Liz Magill earned $4.46 million the year following her resignation - The Daily Pennsylvanian.
