Palestra doubleheader highlights Big 5's 60th anniversary

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A doubleheader at the Palestra will highlight the 60th anniversary of the Big 5 on Jan. 20, 2016.

La Salle will host Temple in the first half of the doubleheader, followed by Penn and Saint Joseph's.

“We thought nothing would capture its history better than a competition to be held in this famed Cathedral of Basketball," Big 5 executive director Steve Bilsky said in a statement.

The most recent doubleheader that involved two Big 5 games took place Dec. 4, 2004, when Penn defeated La Salle, 78-67, and Temple edged Villanova, 53-52.

St. Joe's played Drexel in the Palestra that day as well, falling to the Dragons, 57-49.

La Salle has a 314-175 record in games at the Palestra, which was the home of the Explorers from 1955-56 until 1988-89.

La Salle, which went 17-16 last season, lost to the Owls by one point last December at the Palestra. The Explorers look to rebound from a season in which their winning percentage was .444.

Temple went 26-11 last season and just missed the NCAA Tournament. The Owls look to continue last year's success and make their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2013, when they lost to Indiana in the second round.

Last season, Penn (9-19) beat Saint Joseph's (13-18) in a late-January meeting. 

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