Penn scores 100 points twice

For almost two years, the Penn fans have been screaming for Corky Calhoun to go out and score a bundle of points, something he hasn't had to, and so hasn't done. During the same period, in which the Quakers have gone 47-2, the fans have clamored for big wins, where the Red and Blue really blow someone out. They got both their wishes tonight. Penn disposed of Ivy challenger Harvard with unexpected ease, 103-72, Friday night at the Palestra. Saturday night the home forces pounded Dartmouth, 102-75, on the court where they've won thirty straight games. The fourth-ranked Quakers (22-0, 10-0 Ivy League) hold a two-game bulge over Columbia with four to play. Calhoun was better than normal, which is saying quite a lot. Against the Crimson he added a career-high 28 points to his always outstanding all-around game and even had coach Dick Harter admitting, "I guess this is the best night he's had for us." Guard Dave Wohl listed some of the things Corky does every night, whether or not he scores. "He checks out, he handles the ball, he'll drive a good offensive player nuts with his defense, he rebounds, he gets the ball out and moving for the break, he steals the ball, he fills the outside lane on the break." Typically, he did all those things Friday night. Atypically, the poker-faced and seemingly emotionless star all but admitted to being up for the game. "This was a big game for us. We had something to prove tonight -- that we weren't afraid of Harvard, for one thing," Calhoun said. Harvard coach Bob Harrison had forecasted an easy win for one team, but was surprised, to say the least, at who got it. The bewildered Harrison said afterward, "Penn was good, but they didn't give us anything we weren't prepared for. We worked on it all week and we knew what to do. Maybe it was pressure. I just don't know." What it seemed to be was sparkling offensive execution by the Quakers, who got 12 assists from Wohl, and glue-like man-to-man defense by the same gang, especially Calhoun and Wohl on supersophs Floyd Lewis and James Brown, respectively. And then there was Harvard, a team loaded with individual talent which doesn't seem to have any set plays in its repertoire and isn't nearly as fond of playing defense. Then there was the matter of spirit. Harter made sure that his players were able to read Harrison's comments every time they went through the locker room last week and everybody did. "That helped us get up," said Phil Hankinson, who netted 15. "We were due for this game." "We've been pointing all week," said Bobby Morse, who had 14 points but wanted to be remembered for a fancy tip-of-a-poorly-thrown-pass assist to Steve Bilsky on a fast break. "We were high tonight," said an as much relieved as exuberant Harter. Saturday night there was almost no reason to be high, as a mediocre Dartmouth quintet came to town. But Wohl did another fine defensive job on another James Brown, and the Quakers had another easy one. The Red and Blue led 51-38 at the half. For the second night in a row everybody played and eleven men scored, as Penn surpassed 100 points in two straight games for the first time ever. Both losing coaches were impressed. Harrison repeated his belief that only UCLA and Marquette are better than Penn, while Dartmouth's George Blaney was succinct. "I think it's just a great team."