AT COURTSIDE: With rigorous schedule, Penn hardly feels pain in loss

Despite a hopeless situation, Penn impressed with its tenacity and the play of its younger players. BALTIMORE, Md. -- Penn lost last night to Maryland, which could not have been a major surprise or disappointment. After all, the Terrapins are the seventh-best team in the country, according to the polls. And they were coming off a win at Wake Forest. If Tim Duncan couldn't stop the Terps, what kind of chance did the Quakers have? In the end, Penn had a particularly tough time dealing with Maryland's quickness, especially when trying to handle the ball. The Terrapins pressed and trapped and swiped and stole, forcing an eye-popping 31 turnovers and turning them into 34 points. But the Quakers can extract a few positives from the 103-73 loss. First, the game was quite competitive for at least a half. Despite committing 10 turnovers in the first half, Penn trailed by just six points with four minutes left, before a Maryland run stretched the deficit to 13 at halftime. "We turned the ball over five or six straight times during one stretch [in the first half]," Quakers coach Fran Dunphy said. "With this kind of firepower against us, you can't go six straight possessions without a score." Still, Penn seemed more confident playing against the Terrapins than it had against, say, Villanova. Sophomore forward Jed Ryan continued his strong play of late, scoring inside and from long range to finish with 17 points. Paul Romanczuk also refused to back down against the bigger Terps, finishing with nine points and five rebounds. And although they combined for 16 turnovers, the Quakers' three freshmen all made solid contributions on offense. Matt Langel coolly knocked down three of four three-pointers in the first half, while fellow frosh Michael Jordan flashed some of his wizardry with 11 points, all in the second half. Center Geoff Owens chipped in with eight points and four boards. And while the 30-point loss had a few bright spots for Penn, it is games like this that will bring even better times for the Quakers in the future. This, after all, was Penn's third game against a team ranked in the top 10 in the nation. The Quakers have found themselves on the wrong side of a blowout each time. But getting thrashed by national powers is like eating your vegetables -- you may not like it, but it builds character. "If the kids are good enough to play, they'll be O.K.," Dunphy said. "They'll weather the storm. The next time we play somebody more like us, we'll be better for it. If you can't learn from this, you're not paying attention." Playing "somebody more like us" refers to the Ivy League, which is what Penn is really interested in winning. Arch-rival Princeton, by the way, has played Indiana and North Carolina this season. "The Ivy League is real important," senior guard Jamie Lyren said. "If we win it, we go to the NCAAs, and that's our most important goal." Losing by 30 to Maryland or by 42 to Arizona isn't fun, but it will give the Quakers an edge during those tough Ivy weekends. If you've gone up against Keith Booth, playing Dartmouth's Seamus Lonergan doesn't seem as daunting. Dunphy pointed out an instance of Penn's continuing education. In the first half, Owens received a pass under the Terrapins' basket. But instead of taking a clear path to the hoop, he moved right back into the Terp defense. "Off of today's performance, I think he'll learn from it," Dunphy said. "Next time he'll turn away from the defense." As for the 31 turnovers, don't count on the Quakers committing nearly that many against an Ancient Eight foe. "I don't think we're going to see a similarly athletic team in our league," Dunphy said. Even Maryland coach Gary Williams realized how his team was helping Penn, suggesting that when crunch time in the Ivies arrives, the Quakers will have an edge.

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