A FRONT ROW VIEW: Quakers do it without Jerome Allen

Every Ivy League basketball player knows how brutal and draining Ivy weekends are. But Jerome Allen found out this past week how much worse Wednesdays can be than either Friday or Saturday. It was last Wednesday when the junior guard strained a muscle in his right shoulder while lifting weights. By Friday night, when Columbia came rolling into West Philly sitting atop the Ivies at 4-0, a half game ahead of the Quakers, Allen was still in pain. Every fan in attendance could see there was a difference in his play. Allen left the game less than three minutes into the contest. And although he returned soon thereafter, his play suffered throughout the game. Columbia's C.J. Thompkins, starting for the first time in his still budding career, dribbled around Allen with the greatest of ease. Fortunately for the Quakers, senior captain Barry Pierce and junior guard Matt Maloney stepped up their play and led Penn into first place. But the following night the pain grew worse. The game notes said Allen would probably not play at all, and definitely not start. Not to worry, because Quaker utility man Scott Kegler once again stepped up his play. Although he is not one of the stars on the Penn squad, Kegler is quickly gaining the attention of Quaker hoops fans. Remember that contest in the Spectrum a couple weeks ago against La Salle? Pierce didn't start, so the always ready Kegler took his place. Kegler got the Quaker offense going in that game by scoring nine of Penn's first 14 points. So guess who Fran Dunphy turned to Saturday night when Allen was unable to start? That's right --EKegler. And once again, Kegler did not disappoint. The junior guard checked in with one of his best performances of his career. In the process, he scored eight points, dished out five assists without one turnover and got his hands on one steal. "Scott Kegler gave a really steady effort on both ends of the floor," Dunphy said. "When he comes in and gives us this kind of performance and plays solidly, he makes us an even deeper team." But Kegler did more than just make the Quakers a deeper team, he made them a better team this weekend. He gave Penn a spark whenever the team needed one. With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, Cornell came down the court on a three-on-one fast break. Kegler, the lone Penn defender, played the Big Red offense perfectly and drew a charge on Frank Ableson. Immediately after the play, the Quakers exploded on a 9-2 run to open their lead to 13 points. But the Big Red made a comeback and tied the game 35-35 in the second half. Then Kegler responded. He stepped back behind the three-point arc, received the ball from Maloney, and let it fly -- swish! This bomb started the pivotal 18-6 Quaker run that finally put the Big Red out of the game. Although Cornell used two timeouts during the course of this run, nothing could stop what Kegler had ignited. So what have the Quakers learned this weekend? It's simple: although Allen is the heart and soul of this Penn squad, the Quakers can more than hold their own against other Ivy League foes without the services of their future pro. "One person does not make a team," Dunphy said. "I think Jerome would be the first guy to tell you that. He is a very important part of our team, but I would like to think that anybody that would not be in there, for whatever reason, would be missed, but not to the point where we wouldn't be able to survive." This all may be true, and proven in dramatic fashion this past weekend, but I'd sure like to see Allen suiting up and playing his usual minutes tonight against Buffalo. Joshua Friedman is a College junior from Beverly Hills, Calif., and Sports Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.