The Penn women's basketball team sits atop the Ivy League standings by a game over Dartmouth with five to go. So far, one thing has separated the Red and Blue from league competition.
And, contrary to popular belief, it's not Jewel Clark. It's five Quakers who start the game on the bench.
In no way is this a knock on Clark. She's the heart and soul of the team, a true go-to player whose attitude off the court is just as vital to the Quakers as the double-double she puts up every game.
But the Ivy League is filled with go-to players. Harvard has Hana Peljto, Columbia has Sue Altman and Dartmouth has talented freshman Elise Morrison.
So there must be something else about the Penn team that makes it a cut above the rest, and sure enough, there is.
Cat Makarewich. Joey Rhoads. Maria DiDonato. Katie Kilker. Monica Naltner. These five comprise the Quakers' second unit. While other teams in the Ancient Eight have an answer for Jewel Clark, none have the quality and depth to match up with the Quakers' reserves.
"We need a consistent effort from the bench," Penn assistant coach Joe McGeever said. "That's why we're here at this point. That's why we're 8-1, because of the bench.
"Certainly the players that get all the playing time, people notice them. But the reason we're in first place is the bench and they have to continue that for the next five games."
For the season, the Quakers lead the Ivy League in bench scoring, with their reserves accounting for a combined 31 points per game. All five of the Quakers' reserves play an integral part in Penn's game plan.
Kilker and Naltner have provided desperately-needed frontcourt help behind sophomore Jennifer Fleischer. A stress fracture in Fleischer's lower leg has left her unable to play the majority of some games. When called upon, Kilker and Naltner have been up to the challenge.
In a crucial game at Harvard earlier this year, Penn coach Kelly Greenberg needed the pair to hold their own. They did much more.
Naltner hung tough in a career-high 32 minutes of action, and hit a jumper from the top of the key to tie the game at 72 apiece with just over a minute remaining. Then, with 5.1 seconds left, Kilker hit the second of two free throws to give Penn a dramatic 73-72 win.
This toughness extends to the backcourt. Freshman Rhoads proved that she belonged right from the start by being named to the all-tournament team at the season-opening UMBC Retriever Classic. In Makarewich, the Red and Blue have a player who would start on most other Ivy teams.
All DiDonato does is come into the game and hit threes at crucial times. The sharp-shooting junior guard has only logged 74 minutes in nine league games, but averages one three-pointer for every seven minutes on the court. DiDonato typifies the attitude that has made the bench so successful.
"What we're doing right now is working, so we've got to stick with it," DiDonato said. "Coach definitely knows what she's doing. Whenever she needs us, we'll be ready."
Greenberg went the entire first half against Yale last Saturday without looking at DiDonato. But early in the second half, the coach called her name.
What Greenberg got was vintage DiDonato, eight minutes, six points, 2-of-3 shooting from three-point range. Most importantly, this stretch allowed the Red and Blue to put the game out of reach.
"It's a situational thing," McGeever said. "With Maria, we didn't put her in until the second half because of the situation. But when she got in, she was ready to play."
This has been the hallmark of the Quakers' bench. When they've gotten the chance, they've made the most of it. Now they want a chance in the NCAA Tournament.
