Hathaway points Penn the right way

Chelsea Hathaway, Penn's highly touted freshman, will lead the Quakers' offense at point guard against Navy today. One win doesn't make a season. But when the final buzzer sounded at the Palestra Friday night, the Penn woman's basketball team had reason for jubilation. The Quakers' narrow 73-67 victory over St. Francis -- the 1995-96 Northeast Conference champions -- gave Penn a 1-0 start to the new season. It also showed a sign of promise for the Red and Blue, who struggled mightily last season -- finishing a meager 3-23. Penn will try to build on its season-opening victory tonight, when they face the always-intense Navy Admirals on the Midshipmen's home court, Alumni Hall. "Its a new season and we are a new team," Penn co-captain Deana Lewis said. "Whenever we start a new season, things always look better." The arrival of freshman point guard Chelsea Hathaway changes the Quakers' outlook on the 1996 campaign. Hathaway averaged 12 points, eight boards, and four assists per game last season at Christ the King High School in Forest Hills, New York -- the No.2 ranked high school team in the country. Hathaway's had little trouble penetrating the Red Flash defense on Friday. And at 5-foot-9, Hathaway has also showed the knack to grab rebounds on both the offensive and defensive boards. "Chelsea's a competitor," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "She is used to playing teams that want to beat her. She is used to playing 40 minutes. She understands the game, she loves the game, and she loves to compete." Hathaway's arrival allows the junior, Colleen Kelly, to return to her natural position of shooting guard. Kelly has a sweet touch from long range, but last year she rarely was able to spot up from behind the arc as she was asked to penetrate and try to break down opposing defenses. Against St. Francis, Kelly knocked down four three-point shots, accounting for 12 of her 14 points. Last season, she was limited to just under one and a half treys per game. "Colleen did a great job for us last year when we moved her to the point," Soriero said. "But she's a lot more comfortable at the two guard." If Hathaway and Kelly continue to shoot a high percentage from the outside, opponents will lose the luxury of being able to double-team power forward Michelle Maldonado and center Deana Lewis on the low post. Maldonado scored a career-high 22 points on Friday, excelling in the one-on-one game. Lewis has also shown the ability to knock down her shots when posting up against only a single defender. "We have people who can hit from the outside, and opponents have to worry about the inside game," Lewis said. "Its going to be tough for teams to double down and get back on defense." If Penn is able to maintain its multi-facet attack throughout the season, the Quakers will be a stronger team than they were a year ago, when their offense revolved around giving the ball to then-senior Natasha Rezek on the low post nearly each time down court. This task will not be as easy as it sounds, however, for the Quakers. Hathaway passed her first test last Friday against the Red Flash, but it is almost unfair to expect a consistent contribution out of any freshman -- even if she was an Honorable Mention All-American. In order for the Quakers to win, Hathaway will need to contribute on a nightly basis. If she struggles, Kelly will be forced to return to the point, and the versatility of an inside-outside game evaporates. Hathaway, however, is convinced that she is ready to step up to the challenge. "I played for a pretty big national program," Hathaway said. "So, it hasn't been a terrible transition for me."

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