AT COURTSIDE: Lack of backcourt depth again spells doom for W. Hoops

Coach Julie Soriero had little to work with when Penn faced St. Joseph's last night. Penn's injury problems and lack of depth are the worst-kept secret in women's basketball. Point guards Erica McCauley and Colleen Kelly have been out since the first game of the season, leaving senior co-captain Shelly Bowers to play the position. St. Joe's coach Stephanie Gaitley knew about the vacancy and structured her offense to exploit it. "It forced every kid on their team to play a position they weren't comfortable with," Gaitley said. "We told the kids, 'Let's just take them out of the rhythm and force them to do something they're not used to doing.' It makes them make decisions." With Bowers effectively neutralized, the Quakers had to look elsewhere for leadership. Senior co-captain Katina Banks attempted to switch to the point but had little success. The Hawks' nationally-ranked defense completely shut Penn down. After missing open shots early, the Quaker starters looked tired. Unlike in previous games, they were allowed to rest. Freshman forward Michelle Maldonado spelled senior co-captain Shelly Dieterle, while guards Amy Tarr, who started at forward, and Patti Loyak filled in for Bowers and Banks. However, the Quakers bench did not repeat its outstanding performance from the team's first contest in Colorado. "It's a struggle," Gaitley said. "You start off 0-3 and all of a sudden you're looking for answers. It got frustrating for Penn because we built a lead, and it was our young kids doing it." Led by sophomore guard Amy Facer, the Hawks bench poured in 40 points, more than half the team's total. St. Joe's freshman forward Maureen Costello provided seven points and ten rebounds off the bench. They understood the pressure of a Big 5 matchup and performed up to the occasion. Penn, on the other hand, seemed intimidated by the faster, stronger St. Joe's squad. "When I went in, I felt ready," Penn freshman center Renata Zappala said. "I have a tendency to think too much, instead of just doing things. I get ahead of myself. I'm hoping as I get more time it will just become easier. I have to be more confident when I go out and play." Penn's bench appeared to come of age, though the Quakers did so under fire. Maldonado put in six points and pulled down three boards to lead the Penn reserves. Freshman forward Hope Smith excelled on both ends of the court in 23 minutes of action. "Hope Smith did a nice job," Soriero said. "She played aggressively. She matched up well defensively. She took the ball to the basket strong. Sometimes she was a little bit out of control but as a freshman you're glad to see that initiative. She wasn't afraid to put it down and challenge them." Soriero appeared to be rewarding good play, while using the hook on those who made mistakes. Soriero disagrees, claiming she instead wanted to use Penn's depth. "It was a decision to try to see if we could create," Soriero said. "We were getting good shots and they weren't going down, so maybe someone else who had seen the intensity of the game could go in and they will go down. Maybe the kid who is missing it just needs to come out, take a deep breath and regroup. If we could get that same shot but with a different person, maybe we'd get those points." "I think the efforts of the bench were good," Soriero said. "The contribution could have