Quakers feel agony of defeat

"What the hell just happened here?" That was all Princeton senior guard Brian Earl could say to senior teammate Gabe Lewullis after the Tigers completed an improbable comeback from a 24-point halftime deficit to win 50-49 last night in front of a sold-out crowd at the Palestra. In a game that was surreal both in its on-court scoring and its in-the-stands excitement, the only word that can be used to describe the evening is "unbelievable." "We just succumbed to the pressure a little bit," a dejected Penn head coach Fran Dunphy said after the game. "I feel badly for our guys. In the second half we just didn't finish out what we had started." Horror, confusion, sadness, depression and outright shock was how the Quakers faithful left the storied Palestra. "This was the worst thing I've ever seen," said two Quakers fans as they sat in the stands in disbelief with their hands folded behind their heads. In contrast to Penn's obvious lack of post-game celebration, though, pregame hype around campus was immeasurable for the first of Penn's two basketball games of the year against archrival Princeton. Hours before tip-off, die-hard Quakers fans took to the usual task of adorning their bodies with red and blue "P"s. Some had even taken the entrepreneurial route, designing their own "Romanczuk 3:16" shirts and paperboard cut-out "Dunphy heads on a stick." "I'm pumped about this game," said sophomore class President Ray Valerio, sporting a colored scalp and chest. "The feeling that I have right now is ineffable. I love it, I love it to be here and I hope the crowd is into it." An hour before tipoff, tension already filled the air. The first Quakers' fans into the arena -- replete with flowing wigs and abundant energy -- made a grand entrance to the first row of Section 115, setting the mood for an evening that is played out every year. Spirits were still high as the game began --Ethe hometown fans had no clue of the heartbreak that awaited them. "There's nothing else in the basketball season [besides the Penn-Princeton game]," 1964 College graduate Rush Smith said. "It'll be a very close game. I think Penn should win, but it won't be easy." And Philadelphia Mayor Ed Rendell, a Penn alumnus and ardent Penn basketball fan, also chipped in with his thoughts before the game. "It's more than just an ordinary basketball game," Rendell said. "[It's] two schools with great basketball traditions, who have respect for each other's programs, and also have a good healthy hatred for each other." Tigers fans, replete in Snapple-sponsored "Jadwin Jungle" T-shirts, took up their position in the Palestra, determined to do their best to help their team extend its 35-game Ivy winning streak. And on the other side of the arena, Quakers fans stood and screamed at the top of their lungs right from the opening tap. The fans exploded with each basket as the home team followed a Tiger three-pointer with an astounding 29 consecutive points. Holding the hated Tigers scoreless for over 13 minutes and opening a 26-point lead was what the campus had dreamed about all season. If ever the campus was unified behind the basketball team, it was when the Palestra crowd began chanting, "You have three points" in the midst of the Quakers' devastating first-half run, and then gave Princeton a standing ovation when the Tigers scored their fourth point on a free throw after their extended drought. For Princetonians with no foreknowledge of the amazing second half that their team would have, the first 20 minutes were too much to bear. "We're leaving -- this is kind of embarrassing," an unidentified Tigers junior said on the way out at halftime. "We definitely didn't expect it to be this kind of game." Paper airplanes could be seen fluttering down from the heights of the Palestra as Michael Jordan hit a three-pointer to put the Quakers up 40-13 with under 15 minutes left. All was well in West Philadelphia --Ehey, how can a team with just nine points in the first half expect a miraculous come-from-behind victory? "I love this game, this is the greatest game," College freshman Matt Gioffre said. "They're pulling closer, but they don't have time to come back. We're all hyped up, and we have a great defense, and we're going to play strong." But despite every effort by the home-town fans, the tide turned. The northeast corner of the stadium, which had previously been dormant, erupted as the Tigers suddenly poured in basket after basket as the game clock waned down. Quakers faithful that had screamed in joy now screamed in anger and fear, as a 27-point lead slipped to 15, then to 10 and finally to three with just over three minutes to play. With 2:14 left, Princeton leapfrogged ahead of the Quakers to take a 50-49 lead. And then it was over. The stunned Palestra crowd slumped into their seats as the Tigers, and not their beloved Quakers, stormed the court as the buzzer sounded. In shock, Penn fans looked quizzically at one another, swearing under their breath as they realized that the scoreboard actually did read Tigers 50, Quakers 49. But on the other side of the court, wonder and joyful amazement took hold, as Tigers fans too were shocked at the furious Princeton comeback. "I almost went home," said Richard Earl, uncle of Tigers senior co-captain Brian Earl. "But I never give up on Brian. We were screaming our bloody heads off up here. It was a terrific comeback -- I've never seen a comeback like it in college ball."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.