W. Hoops splits weekend, falls into three-way tie

The Penn women's basketball team lost for the second time this season to Yale, but rebounded against Brown 73-70. Redemption was the theme of the Penn women's basketball road trip last weekend. Following what coach Julie Soriero called a "woeful" offensive effort of 19 turnovers and 30 percent shooting against Yale (11-11, 5-5 Ivy League) Friday, the Quakers (11-10, 6-3) were determined to win their game against Brown (9-13, 5-5) Saturday (73-70). Yale gradually built a big lead, taking over in the second half to run away with a 23-point victory (66-43). Despite multiple turnovers, Penn stayed in the game part of the way, mainly due to offensive efforts by Colleen Kelly and Diana Caramanico who scored 19 and 10 points, respectively. But as Yale struck from all angles, the contest became a Quakers' quest to stay close. The Elis capitalized on Penn's bad passes and built their lead to 10 midway through the first half. Solid Caramanico offense cut that lead to seven. But the errors that followed would prove costly and reoccurring as the first half closed. The Quakers began the second half in a 12-point hole. Climbing out would take safe passing, sharp shooting and tough defense. Kelly concentrated on the shooting, connecting on a jumper and a three-pointer while Yale went scoreless for the opening minutes. With 11:30 remaining, the Quakers had cut the lead to eight -- hardly an insurmountable deficit. But following a 20-second time-out, Yale's Katy Grubbs' scored seven quick points to put Yale in control with a 15-point advantage. Those points were just a preview. The occasional Quakers' field goal was no match for the attack Grubbs' led solo. Following a three-pointer by Kelly with 6:44 remaining, Grubbs was the only player on the floor to score in the next five minutes. At the end of her 14-point performance, the Quakers were down 26 with 2:19 left in the game. Two players off the Penn bench scored foul shots in the closing minutes for a final score of 66-43. "I felt like I let the team down," Caramanico said after her-10 point performance. "I really wanted to do better against Brown the next day." Caramanico did just that -- on the first possession in Providence, she sunk two free throws to begin the Quakers' attack in the paint. As the teams traded baskets, she and senior forward Michelle Maldonado led the Red and Blue through several ties and lead changes. They battled inside on every possession, scoring 17 of the Quakers' first 21 points on layups. "We've got a really strong inside game," Soriero said. "I don't think Brown had much depth inside, so we were hard to stop." Brown's scoring was mainly from the perimeter. The Bears kept it close as Turner and Julie Amato fueled the offense with short jumpers and three-pointers. Penn was also successful from beyond the arc. With six and a half minutes remaining, Kelly scored the first of her three consecutive treys in building a Quaker lead. "All of a sudden her shot was there," Soriero said. "She was patient throughout the half and then when we needed a little bit of a lead we got her off some screens." But Brown's Erin Middendorp countered each of Kelly's three-pointers with a layup, a sequence with which the crowd grew quite familiar. Each time Kelly struck, Middendorp scored as well, keeping Penn's lead at five to close out the half 40-35. As the second half began, several key assists from Kelly helped Caramanico and Maldonado recommence their inside game. Penn built its largest lead, nine points, with 18 minutes remaining. As the defense adjusted, the two Quakers inside players began to work together, with dishes across the key and "high low action," as Soriero called it. "Michelle and I worked well together," Caramanico said, "We knew where each was." At 13:27, Maldonado's pass to aid Caramanico's layup kept the lead at nine before Brown's Turner and Cathy Miller began to chip away. The Quakers struggled as Brown's defense picked up. Violations, blocked shots, and lost balls culminated in a run that closed the lead to three. But Penn did not buckle. "What happened was really a credit to Brown," said Soriero. "They got into a rhythm and started taking the shots they needed. But we didn't get flustered." Brown's Vita Redding's layup with 1:15 remaining cut the Quakers lead to one. Fortunately, Penn's free throw shooting helped them stay in control. Caramanico and Kelly each connected from the line on the first of a one-and-one, building the lead to three such that Brown's Julie Amato's layup could not close the gap. Caramanico sealed the win by hitting two more foul shots as the Quakers came away with a 73-70 victory. She and Maldonado combined for 51 points. The Quakers' weekend split gives them a 6-3 record in the Ivies, leaving them tied for second with Dartmouth and Princeton.