W. Hoops tries to cope with lethal Leopards

Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. That pretty much sums up the state of affairs for the Penn women's basketball team as it heads into tonight's home game against Lafayette (The Palestra, 5:45). The Quakers (3-8) struggled at the offensive end of the floor early in the season, often plagued by numerous turnovers and low shooting percentages. But in the last few weeks, these things have definitely changed -- while the Penn team still has work to do, it put together a solid effort in beating Big 5 rival Temple, 63-55, last Tuesday at McGonigle Hall. And now the Quakers seem much more relaxed and confident because of these changes. "We had a tough swing there, with three away games in five days, and it was nice to end with a big win," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "We've had a few days of rest and some time to get everything together. We want to be rested and ready for the big games we have coming up. We're getting healthy and want to keep moving ahead." However, the Quakers have faced excellent non-conference opponents all year long and whether they like it or not, this aspect of the season will stay the same -- at least for tonight's contest. The Leopards will bring a 10-2 record and some extremely intense defensive pressure into the Palestra. "Our biggest strength has definitely been our defense this season," Lafayette coach Pat Fisher said. "We have a good amount of quickness, especially in the backcourt. We use this quickness to set up our press and force turnovers." The Leopards do indeed force turnovers, and plenty of them. Their opponents have averaged close to 28 per game. Senior point guard Heidi Caruso is among the nation's leaders in steals, and her backcourt partner Marybeth Browne can also cause problems. Lafayette's post players are also defensive forces, especially senior center Chris Sieling. If the Quakers are to have any success tonight, their guards cannot afford to give away the basketball, and they know it. "It's definitely going to be in the back of my mind that Heidi Caruso is one the best defensive guards in the country, and that she really got the best of me last year [in a 75-62 Leopard win]," Penn junior point guard Shelly Bowers said. "Sometimes it's tough to call plays and look for shots in the offense with that much pressure on you, but I'm going to have to take good care of the ball." Soriero also realizes the problems presented by the Leopard press, but is confident her backcourt is prepared for the test. "I think the defensive pressure is a concern, but we faced quick guards against Virginia, Ohio State and against Temple," she said. "We have to break the press and then get the ball over the guards and into the paint." If the Quakers can do as Soriero hopes and get the ball over the guards and into the paint, then senior center Katarina Poulsen and freshman center Deana Lewis must be effective. Poulsen will need to avoid foul trouble, a problem that has often victimized her this year. Lewis may have to repeat the solid post play she showed at Temple as well. Most importantly, the Penn inside game must put points on the board. "When we weren't hitting our shots, it was because we weren't taking shots in the flow of our offense," Bowers said. "As the season has gone on, we've gotten better at that. We definitely need an inside game to open everything up. We have to pound the ball in to Kat and she's got to hit her shots." The Quakers are clearly hoping their inside game will allow Bowers, junior guard Katina Banks and senior forward Julie Gabriel to hit from the perimeter. But Lafayette coach Fisher feels her defensive pressure will take away any good looks at the hoop. "We put a lot of pressure on the ball so we should be able to be match up man-to-man with them," Fisher said. "That way we won't be giving them any threes." At the defensive end, the Quakers have been playing extremely well. But they will have to be prepared for anything from Lafayette. Seiling can dominate inside and she posted 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds against Penn last year. Caruso can penetrate and distribute the ball, and the Leopards have many options to go to. "We're not an exceptional shooting team, but we're flexible and can go eight or nine deep," Fisher said. "If we get a man-to-man, we'll work for a solid three- to five-foot shot. If we get a zone, we'll look for Chris inside or swing the ball to the weak side for an open eight- to 10-foot jumper. Our offense isn't centered on the perimeter, but we do have players with range on their shots." One thing is clear: now the Quakers appear to be playing better basketball. They are determined to prevent things from changing, starting tonight against the Leopards. "I think we'll be ready for the pressure and speed, because we've faced it all year," Banks said. "We've had some stiff competition, and now we need to be refocused and ready for the big games coming up."