Quakers' Deana Lewis works hard on her play

About an hour before the Pennsylvania women's basketball game against Dartmouth, Penn coach Julie Soriero walked on the court to see Quakers junior Deana Lewis, still in her warmups, shooting foul shots while the rest of the team was in the locker room. Lewis had not been happy with how she had shot free throws during the team's shoot-around earlier and had a feeling that she should take a few more. Little did Lewis know that a few hours later, she would find herself trying to ice the game at the line. She hit five straight from the charity stripe, including one that put the Quakers up four with one second left, guaranteeing Penn its first win of the season. Following the upset of the Big Green, the Quakers rolled off another two wins. Tonight Penn (3-22, 3-10 Ivy League) will try to end the year with a four-game winning streak when it faces Princeton (18-9, 8-5) at the Palestra tonight at 6:30 p.m. "Those free throws were very important to the team," Lewis said. "They put us out of danger in the game. The win at Dartmouth put the belief back in us, and we've been on a roll ever since." Taking the extra time to practice is nothing new for Lewis, who has continually worked to improve her game. Now in her junior year, she has claimed her place as one of the most crucial players on the Penn team. "Deana had been one of the most dependable players on the team this year," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "She has been more aggressive with her rebounding, and her shooting has improved from the perimeter." But it is on defense where Lewis had made the biggest strides. Last season, she would often pick up fouls in bunches, twice fouling out early in the second half of games. Over the summer, Lewis worked on getting into shape for the season and has been able to get better defensive positioning. Realizing that she is no use to the team on the bench, Lewis has not fouled out this year. "It's real satisfying as a coach to know that you can approach a player about a problem and then see them follow through by working on it," Soriero said. This season has also seen Lewis and fellow six-footer Natasha Rezek become more comfortable as the Quakers' low-post combination. While Rezek leads Penn in points and rebounds, Lewis is second in both categories with 10 points and seven boards per game. "We play well together," Lewis said. "I can really read her well." But it has been a long three-year struggle for Lewis to assume her position as one of the team's key players. Twelve games into her freshman year, Lewis blew out her left knee. Even though it is an incident she would rather forget, Lewis still knows the exact date when the injury occurred as well as the day she found herself on the operating table. "Rehab was tough physically," Lewis said. "It was a long, slow process. When the season started, I still wasn't ready to play. Then I had to get used to playing on a brace." Limited in her capabilities, Lewis was willing to accept the role of what she termed a "garbage player." Lewis let Rezek and seniors Katina Banks and Shelly Bowers draw most of the attention, while she worked on rebounding and contributing in any way possible. This season Lewis moved into a permanent spot in the lineup and became a featured player in Penn's offense. She also has had to assume responsibility as one of the veteran players on the team. "I've taken a more important role as a leader," Lewis said. "We don't have the older players on the team." Lewis is also the designated jokester on the team. She can always be seen trying to get the team to laugh, often at the expense of fellow junior Amy Tarr. Last week, Lewis had some players on the team tell Tarr to wear a blue uniform while others told her to sport red. It wasn't until close to game time that Tarr was certain she would match her teammates' uniforms. Lewis leads through her emotional play on the court as well. But while she is able to psyche her teammates up, there is also a downside to her emotions. "I'm my own biggest critic," Lewis said. "When I'm down, I have to realize that I have to help the whole team with my play." Lewis believes she has matured a lot during her years at Penn. The process will have to continue next year when Rezek graduates and Lewis becomes the Quakers' primary post player. "Deana is going to have to meet another challenge next year," Soriero said. "I only hope that she is as successful at meeting the challenge next year as she has been this year."