W. Hoops keeps cool in clutch

Just two hours after "Palestra 2000" opened its newly renovated doors, the arena hosted an event that hadn't been seen in the old place since January 17, 1983. That date marked the last time Penn last beat La Salle . And when the Explorers jumped out to an early 18-8 lead in the first half, it looked like deja vu all over again, that any legitimate threat to the streak might have to wait until next year. To the Red and Blue's credit, they overcame a sloppy first half to only trail at the break by a single point. But the Quakers' true test of fortitude came in the final three minutes of the contest, a pressurized situation in which winless Penn had struggled in its first three games of the season. Missed free throws and mental breakdowns had been characteristic of the Quakers' play late in games so far in 2000. Yet, that didn't mean that Penn didn't learn from its mistakes, particularly those made in two overtime losses last weekend in a tournament at Northwestern. "[Penn] Coach [Kelly Greenberg] told us in the locker room that Chicago won this game for us," senior forward Diana Caramanico said. And so, perhaps there are significant long-term benefits from enduring such heartbreaking defeats to both Northwestern and Northeastern. The losses were tough to stomach initially, but the experience that Penn gained did seem to settle the team down in crucial points in last night's game. "I thought we looked like a very composed team in the last minute and a half," Greenberg said. In those final 90 seconds, the Quakers were crisp in their passes, and quick in identifying the open player down low for a lay-up. This happened repeatedly as the Explorers double- and triple-teamed Caramanico down the stretch, preferring to force the other Red and Blue players to step up, rather than getting burned by their number-one scorer. The other Quakers made the most of their opportunity -- especially Jewel Clark, who scored four of Penn's final six points. Clark's clutch play helped seal the deal for a team desperately in need of a solid finish, but even more importantly, a win.

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