Coach Miller disappointed with refs in first Ivy League loss of year

Brown basketball coach Glen Miller was a little upset after Saturday night's game at the Palestra. Miller thought that the difference between Penn and his team in the Quakers' 73-66 win was not either team's level of talent but the men in stripes. "We got jammed up our asses by three officials," Miller said after the game. His press conference after the loss was one of the most impressive in recent Ivy League history. "It's a matter of playing five against eight the whole freakin' game," Miller said, insinuating that the officials were on Penn's side. Miller continued his rant, questioning Penn and Princeton's dominance in the Ivy League during recent years. "That's why there's such an inbalance in this Goddamn league, because you can't go to Penn and Princeton and get a fair shake," he said. "Our guys outplayed them the whole freakin' game." Whether the Bears really did outplay the Quakers is open to debate. But Brown did allow Penn's Ugonna Onyekwe to score 19 points in the first half alone. But Miller would argue that seven of those 19 came on foul shots. The senior forward was impressive on the night from the charity stripe, going 7-for-8. All of the attempts came during the first stanza. In addition, Miller would point out that Penn was only charged with seven fouls in the first half compared to Brown's 12, and that the Quakers finished the game with 17 fouls, while Brown committed a total of 24. When asked about his team's play apart from the officiating, Miller had nothing but praise. "Nothing different from our team. They played their asses off," he said. "Our guys could not have played harder, could not have played better. It's just too bad. It really is too bad." Miller's most clear complaint with the officiating both during the game and afterward at the press conference was over Penn's handchecking on the perimeter. "I was feeling everytime we took a ball off the dribble we got a handcheck impeding our progress," he said. "I don't know what we're supposed to do about that." When asked what the officials told him when he complained about the calls, Miller started in on his team's reputation around the league and its effect on their games. The officials gave "no response, no response. Coach Dunphy can hold a press conference down there. [Princeton's] Coach [John] Thompson III can hold a press conference down there," Miller said about the way the refs talk to the other coaches in the league. "Coach Miller from Brown -- no respect. Brown University -- no respect." Miller is still of the opinion that his team will get their 'fair shake' when Penn travels to Brown's home court -- the Pizzitola Center -- on Feb. 28. "We don't care about respect," he said. "We're good enough to beat this team. When they come to our place, we'll tee it up again. We're not taking a backseat to anybody in this league." So, while the Quakers have a trip to both Harvard and Dartmouth before taking on the Bears again, they must realize that Glen Miller and the Bears will be anxiously awaiting their arrival in Providence. Miller hopes that he will not have to comment on his team 'getting jammed up the ass by three officials' after the rematch.

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