W. Hoops falls to late 'Nova rally

The Quakers hung qith their Big East opponents well into second half before succumbing, 60-51. For the past 21 years, Penn has met Villanova in Big 5 play. Since 1975, the players and coaches have changed. Even the game site has swapped between Villanova's duPont Pavillion and the Palestra. But the one constant is Villanova has finished on top each time. Last season, the defending Big 5 champion Wildcats doubled Penn, 86-43 as Quakers star Natasha Rezek was held to just 13 points. Last night at the Palestra, however, the Quakers (4-8, 0-4 in Big Five) had a legitimate shot to end the Wildcats' (8-6 3-1 in Big Five) 21-year victory streak. At the ten-minute mark of the second half, Penn junior forward Michelle Maldonado drove to the basket and hit a layup, cutting the Wildcats lead to just one point, 40-39. But in the final ten minutes, 'Nova answered the calls of their screaming head coach, Harry Perretta. Six-foot-four sophomore Priscilla Rosenthal entered the game and altered several shots. And junior Jenn Beisel hit four consecutive jumpshots, as the Wildcats pulled away to a 60-51 triumph. "[Beisel] basically saved us," Perretta said. "We were trying to get her the ball. She was the only person who seemed confident." Even though Villanova pulled away from Penn in the final minutes of play, the story last night was the emergence of the Quakers. Last season's cellar dwellers have become contenders behind the emergence of Maldonado and the arrival of freshman point guard Chelsea Hathaway. Maldonado continued her stellar play on both ends of the floor last night, finishing with 14 points and 13 boards while playing the full 40 minutes. Maldonado also did the intangibles well, setting picks and screens for the guards, and holding Villanova forward Jenn Sliwa to just seven points -- eight below her season average. At point guard, Hathaway played a solid all-around game, finishing with eight points, seven rebounds, and four assists. Since the start of the season, Hathaway has emerged as a leader on the court. Last night, she connected with Lewis and Maldonado on passes off the dribble. Earlier in the season, Hathaway would have tried to force the shot. "We are playing a little more comfortably as a team," Hathaway said. "Because I'm new, I think it took a while, but I'm really starting to get into the groove." Hathaway also was the player who pulled Maldonado out of her funk, calming the Quakers' leading scorer down after the officials assessed her a technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct. The foul was called with nine minutes and eight seconds to go in the second half when the Quakers were still within three. Junior guard Colleen Kelly also had a solid showing last night, finishing with 14 points and two treys. And both center Deana Lewis and small forward Shelly Fogarty played strong defense. "I think Penn is the most improved team I've seen from one year to the next in my 19 years of coaching," Perretta said. But Penn coach Julie Soriero was unable to incorporate her bench into the mix and fatigue set in late in the game. The Wildcats were 10 players deep each half. But Soriero stuck with her starters until the break. And in the second half, the subs played a total of eight minutes, and did not take a single shot. "I thought the kids who were in the game in the first half were doing a good job, especially defending," Soriero said. The Wildcats had eight players each seeing more than 15 minutes of court time. Freshman small forward Jenea Skeeters came off the bench and shot 6-of-12 from the field for 15 points. Five-foot-seven freshman point guard Lauren Pellicane added five points and five assists in a reserve role. And Rosenthal hit two foul shots and grabbed five boards for the Wildcats. Perretta's expanded bench not only allowed his starters some rest, but also gave him the chance to discuss set plays with his starters, without expending a timeout. But if it was not the lack of depth that did the Quakers in, it was their inept play on the offensive boards. Penn grabbed just five rebounds off their own glass. Villanova had 15. In fact, Beisel alone had six offensive rebounds. And the Wildcats outscored the Red and Blue on second chance points, 15-2. "We need to get a few more offensive boards," Sorriero said. "A put-back could change the whole game." Last night, Penn played a solid first 30 minutes against the Wildcats. But if they clean up a few quirks in their game, the Quakers will be ready to take it to the next level. "No team in the Ivies is as good as Villanova," Maldonado said. "But we have to do the little things. It's always something else. One night it was our foul shooting. Tonight, it was rebounding."