W. Hoops makes bid for .500 against navy

A young Quakers women's basketball team is suddenly riding a two-game winning streak entering tonight's game. Winning streak. It has a nice ring to it, but it hasn't been a common occurrence for the Penn women's basketball team the past few years. If the first few games of this season are any indication, however, the past is not a concern to these Quakers (2-3) as they enter tonight's 7 p.m. game against Navy at the Palestra. A major reason for the Quakers' two wins in a row is the play of senior co-captains Colleen Kelly and Michelle Maldonado. Kelly has averaged 23.5 points per game in Penn's two wins. Maldonado has been her usual inside force, as the only upperclassman in the Quakers' frontcourt. She has also helped key the rapid development of freshman Diana Caramanico, who exploded for 32 points in Penn's first win of the season, also garnering Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors. "[Maldonado's] naturally a role model," Caramanico said. "She shows me moves, and all the upperclassmen let me know who we're playing and how we did against them last year." Although Caramanico's early success is unusual for a freshmen, she is really the only one who is surprised. "She's a very fundamental player," Maldonado said. "That's what makes her so good. She doesn't need much variety with her strength and speed." Another reason for the recent success is that the Quakers have become more confident with experience. "At first, we were making a lot of turnovers from weak passes when we weren't sure what to do," Caramanico said. "Now we're running our plays with authority and they work." The only negative for the Quakers is that Maldonado is doubtful for tonight's game because she has been suffering from gastroenteritis the past few days. "I've lost a lot of water and I needed IVs [on Wednesday]," Maldonado said. "I don't have any energy?. I'm probably not going to play [tonight]." Maldonado was especially disappointed about her health because she is still troubled by last season's 59-50 loss at Navy. "None of us had a characteristic game," Maldonado said. "I scored only four points even though they're not physical at all." If Maldonado cannot play, even more pressure falls on Caramanico and freshman center Jessica Allen to control the boards and provide offense inside. Navy only lost two letterwinners from the 22-6 team that finished second in the Patriot League last year. They were picked to finish second this season, just ahead of the Lehigh team that Penn crushed 75-57 on Tuesday. Navy (5-1) has built around Joanne Groth and center Laurie Coffey, as well as guard Becky Dowling. Freshman point guard Felicia Harris was named Patriot League Rookie of the Week. "We're keying on Dowling, Groth and Coffey," Soriero said. "Navy has a lot of confidence but I think we have a good chance if we box out consistently and make our free throws." This game is also Soriero's first chance to get the 200th win of her coaching career, affter picking up No. 199 versus Lehigh on Wednesday. But her focus is on beating Navy and preparing for the Ivy League season. "When I get my 200th win, my next goal will be to try to get to 201," Soriero said. If the Quakers can pull off a win tonight, it would be the first time since 1990-91 that Penn has been at .500 this late in the season. It is no coincidence 1990-91 was also the team's last winning season. Although the Quakers may not be especially familiar with winning streaks, they are definitely enjoying their current success. With continued improvement, this year's team has the chance to make the past a distant memory.