A FRONT ROW VIEW: Mama says he'll make it

His signature two-handed slam was the exclamation point to a one-sided contest that became dangerously close in the end. It was a symbol to the Quaker faithful that the team would not let this game slip away in the waning seconds. It was the signal for Princeton fans to head for the doors. Barry Pierce's dunk made a statement -- "We will not lose." But this was not the only statement to be made on this exciting winter's night. As the fans left Jadwin Gym following the 66-55 drubbing of the Tigers Saturday, the confidence and excitement Pierce's statement instilled in the spectators would not leave them as they headed towards the train station for the trip back to the city of Brotherly Love. At 10:17 p.m., a train left Princeton's station filled from end to end with Penn students returning to campus. The conversation immediately turned to Quaker basketball. "Are we going undefeated again?" someone shouted. "We're tournament bound," said another. Slowly, the discussion began to center around specific players -- Maloney's inconsistent jump shot, Trice's improved inside game, and Krug's play off the bench. Then the arm-chair coaches started talking about Jerome Allen. They were in their own little world, almost like a chalk-talk before a big game, or the war room on NFL draft day. "He's playing really well," one said. "He wants the ball in crunch time," agreed another. "He's been a real leader," said a third. "I wonder if he's going to the NBA?" There was a pause, as everyone aboard the train debated the question in their mind. And then the silence was broken. "My son is going," a strange, confident voice exclaimed, as about 20 heads turned to see a proud, beaming woman looking at them. But the statement the woman had made did not register as those in the car did a double-take. "What? You're Jerome's mother?" "Yes." A broad smile crept over everyone's face as they realized who was accompanying them on the train. The resemblance was undeniable. Fans were filled with pride to travel with Allen's mother, Janet, who had just predicted her son would rise to the professional ranks. It seemed almost fitting that Allen's fans and family ride side-by-side back to Philadelphia, as both have intimately followed his collegiate career since his arrival on the Penn campus. Many went out of their way to meet Allen's mother during the remainder of the train ride. "Congratulations," they would say to the glowing, enthusiastic woman. "Good luck," others said. There was no one on the train who did not replay Janet's statement in his or her mind over and over. "My son is going." "My son is going." As fans and family alike chanted "Quakers, Quakers," those on the train dreamed about seeing Allen in an NBA uniform calling for the ball in crunch time of an important game, just like he has done time and time again on the Palestra floor. But Janet's statement meant so much more to the fans than she may have realized. It was an injection of confidence, invincibility -- like no one could beat the Quakers. She radiated a pride that everyone noticed, and no one could ignore. She gave us Barry Pierce's dunk all over again, a signal the Quakers are a team to be reckoned with, 12 players who demand respect. And it is this confidence that the Quaker fans experienced Saturday night. And it is this pride that is going to carry the team to an undefeated Ivy League season and to a tournament victory. Peter Morrison is a College sophomore from Livingston, N.J., and Associate Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.