W. Hoops faces final tune-up for Ivy grind

Lafayette, which Penn beat in Colorado earlier this year, visits the Palestra. After the last time the Penn women's basketball team faced Lafayette, the Leopards headed for the consolation round of the Air Force Classic with their tails between their legs and the Quakers headed for their first-ever tournament championship. That game took place nearly two-thirds of the way across the country in Colorado Springs, Colo. Tonight, neither team will have to travel quite so far. Instead of flying, the Leopards (3-13) will travel about 80 miles by bus, while the Quakers (9-5) will simply walk down the street in time for tonight's 7 p.m. rematch at the Palestra. Although the Red and Blue left Colorado with an 83-73 win over Lafayette, none of the Quakers were satisfied with the team's performance, least of all Penn coach Kelly Greenberg. "Like I told the girls out in Colorado, 'We won this game, but no one should be leaving the locker room happy,'" Greenberg said of the game, which saw the two teams combine for 57 turnovers and 43 fouls. "I think we had something like 27 turnovers in that first game," Greenberg said. "Hopefully, this time, we'll take care of the ball." At the time, it wasn't just the turnovers that drew Greenberg's ire. She was also displeased that the Leopards, at best a subpar offensive team, were able to score 73 points against the Quakers defense. In hindsight, though, the closer-than-it-looked score may be a positive. "[Lafayette] plays harder than any team we've faced," Greenberg said. "I think it could be a good thing that we played them that close [in Colorado], it means that we won't take them lightly [tonight]." Penn sophomore forward Julie Epton, who has started for the last month in place of injured junior Jessica Allen, thinks that the defensive effort will be noticeably better this evening. "We've come a long way in terms of being more aware on defense, and seeing the whole court," Epton said. "[It's] about not being concerned with just your player. If another teammate gets beat, you can see that and maybe get in there for the steal." Greenberg thinks the Quakers have improved exponentially and that tonight's game will be a good barometer in terms of showing just how far the Quakers have come. "We've improved so much," she said. "I watched a tape of the last game Friday night, and we look so much different [now]. We've added new offenses and we understand better what we should be doing with the ball." Tonight's game could also be a good springboard in terms of sending the Quakers into the meat of the Ivy League season with a shot of confidence. While the Quakers have one Ivy win thus far, this Friday they begin a stretch during which they will take on an Ancient Eight team every Friday and Saturday night for the next six weeks. If the Quakers win tonight, they will have won two in a row heading into Friday's Ivy home opener against Columbia. "We don't play enough games to take any for granted," Greenberg said. The Quakers haven't been taking anything for granted lately, as the Red and Blue are 5-1 over the last month. Whether it's coincidence or not, that timespan roughly coincides with Epton's emergence off the Quakers bench. She has become the team's third-leading scorer with 10.3 points per game over this span. "I don't care very much about stats," Epton said. "The one thing that I love is being out there. Knowing that I'm doing something to help us win is just great. The sophomore has acquitted herself quite well in filling in for the injured Allen. Epton has scored double figures in all but one game in which she has been a starter, and she scored 16 points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked a shot in the Quakers first Ivy tilt of the season, against Princeton. Epton's performance begs the question: What happens when Allen is healthy again? "I really don't know," Greenberg said. "They're both going to get time... but I really haven't worried about that." Greenberg feels that Allen is likely to see some limited action tonight. "Obviously, we can't wait for Jess to get back. We'll probably play her two minutes here and two minutes there, just to get her back in rhythm," Greenberg said. Epton, meanwhile, will apparently remain relatively content with whatever role she is handed, though the more she starts, the more she likes it. "I was ready to go in and fill [Allen's] role and step down when the time came," Epton said. "I don't want to give it up, but the coaches are going to do whatever is best for the team, and, if they do start Jess, I'll respect it." News and Notes Junior forward Diana Caramanico, who carried the Quakers with 41 points and 16 rebounds the last time they faced Lafayette, remained the second-leading scorer in the nation for the sixth straight week, with 25.7 points per game... Penn is averaging 77.6 points per game this season, 5.2 points higher than the record 72.4 points it averaged in 1990-91.