One down and one to go?

With win over Princeton,With win over Princeton,Penn is only a step awayWith win over Princeton,Penn is only a step awayfrom the 'Big Dance' Playing with a home court advantage -- the familiarity of the gym, the friendly atmosphere, the team locker room -- gives any team an edge. And for the Quakers last night, the advantage clearly lay in the enthusiasm and support provided by the sellout crowd at the Palestra as the home team glided to a 63-49 win over the Princeton Tigers. Penn's final game of the regular season was not only a showdown between two perennial Ivy League powerhouses, but a share of the Ivy League title, and -- more importantly -- a fight for an NCAA tournament berth. Because the teams are nearly equal physically and in skill, the victor was the team who was able to prevail psychologically. In this respect, the Quakers clearly had the advantage. "Penn plays so much better at home than away," College senior Chad Haller said. "Our fan support is like having a sixth person on the court." The enthusiasm of Penn fans is legendary, and last night's all-important game was no exception. Quaker fans gave a standing ovation for every Penn point and booed each Princeton possession. They waved their three-point signs and oversized red foam hands -- which were distributed, courtesy of the freshman and junior class boards -- in the air. They heckled each Tiger free throw shooter and cheered for every Quaker swish. And fans did not hesitate to let the referees know when they had made a bad call or had failed to notice a flagrant error by the opponents. Essentially, they were the support Penn needed to pull off the victory and overcome their archrivals. "It was all about the crowd," Wharton sophomore Amy Bauml said. "We scared Princeton a lot." Of course, it did not help that Princeton had already lost to Penn once this season -- and the last seven times they had played the Quakers. Princeton senior Jon Gilula said he thinks the Tigers have a psychological block about playing the Quakers. "It's hard to get over losing to Penn mentally," Gilula explained. "The Tigers are playing to the ghost of Jerome Allen -- they don't realize how even the teams really are." The game at Princeton's Jadwin Gym on January 6 was a much closer matchup. While Penn prevailed, 57-55, the close score was probably a better indication of the even skill levels of the two teams. What clinched the game for the Quakers last night was not only the desire for another Ivy League championship, but the student support of the team. And St. Bonaventure College sophomore John Kos, who drove from Erie, Pa., to see the game, said he was impressed with the Palestra crowd. While he explained that he is used to watching Division I basketball at his school, he said it was "interesting" to watch another team in its home environment. "I liked the atmosphere," Kos said. "I was glad to see a lot of support. I thought they really played well." The Quakers' last game of the regular season was an impressive display some of the best Penn has to offer athletically. It was also a positive way to end a season that saw the end of the Quakers' 48-game Ivy League winning streak. "As a graduating senior, this was one of the best ways to see the Quakers go," Haller said. "It was magical. It was fantastic." The Quakers play the Tigers this Saturday night at Lehigh University's Stabler Arena to determine who will go to the NCAA tournament -- and Penn's fan support will still be strong.