Now that the men's basketball team seems to have righted its ship, this campus has two basketball teams that could be sailing along well into March.
The Penn women, despite last night's loss to Saint Joseph's, sit atop the Ivy League standings at 5-0. After a discouraging loss at Drexel Jan. 13, many observers, including this one, doubted the Red and Blue's ability to contend for a league championship. I questioned the team's ability to rebound, and I was skeptical that anyone would step up to take pressure off team MVP Jewel Clark.
Let me take this opportunity to officially take my foot out of my mouth.
The Quakers grew up during last weekend's road trip to perennial Ivy League powers Harvard and Dartmouth. They believed that they could win in these hostile environments, despite what history had suggested to them. They showed that they have more than one way to beat a team.
And their coach, Kelly Greenberg, proved that she possesses the coaching wisdom to push the right buttons at the right times.
Greenberg had her opponents scouted very well. She knew that Harvard's premier frontcourt players, Hana Peljto and Reka Cserny, create a lot of offense from the perimeter. She also knew that Dartmouth's premier frontcourt presence, freshman Elise Morrison, is more of a bruiser who will do most of her work down low.
Jennifer Fleischer, Penn's starting center, can be a monster on the boards, but has been battling a stress fracture in her lower leg all season. The back-to-back nature of the Ivy League schedule can take its toll on the sophomore.
The question for Greenberg was how to win both games while giving Fleischer enough rest.
The answer was to be found in the Quakers' emerging frontcourt depth. Knowing that backups Katie Kilker and Monica Naltner are quicker than Fleischer, Greenberg's strategy was to give her starter a lot of rest against Harvard. Then she would be fresh to face Morrison and Dartmouth the following night.
In fact, Fleischer played just 13 minutes against the Crimson. But the strategy worked to perfection.
While Peljto and Cserny combined for 45 points, they combined for just two three-pointers, and Peljto was held to just six points in the second half.
The Penn offense had to be balanced to counteract the absences of both Fleischer and Clark, who fouled out with 6:48 remaining.
Even the Quakers themselves might have been surprised at how balanced they were. No Penn player scored more than Cat Makarewich's 13 points, but the Quakers had eight players score at least eight points.
Most astonishingly, Penn's bench outscored Harvard's reserves, 41-4. The Red and Blue needed every one of those points, eking out a 73-72 victory on a Kilker free throw with 5.8 seconds remaining.
So much for the opinion that the Quakers are weak beyond Clark and Fleischer.
"We have a sense of identity now," junior guard Amanda Kammes said. "We're a hustle team, we never give up, and we really believe in ourselves.
"Everyone feels comfortable with each other, stepping up when they need to step up instead of putting all the weight on Jewel or Fleisch."
Offensive balance will be key for the rest of the season. But the Quakers came out the following night against Dartmouth and used their traditional formula: The team rode the backs of Clark and Fleischer.
Clark led the way with 23 points and 13 rebounds, while the well-rested Fleischer contributed 10 points and 13 boards.
She also made Greenberg look like a genius for her defensive exploits. Morrison was kept off-balance all night, shooting just 7-for-19 from the field and eventually fouling out. This was mostly the work of Fleischer, who logged 31 minutes on a sore leg.
Penn won the game, 71-58, and is now the Ivy League's only undefeated team. With their toughest road trip behind them, the Quakers are in the driver's seat for an Ivy League title.
This team still has its weaknesses. The guards still need to improve their rebounding and the team as a whole could be better at taking care of the basketball. And if the team has to go any extended period without Fleischer, who attended the St. Joseph's game on crutches, things could go downhill quickly.
But, as of now, this writer predicts smooth sailing to the NCAA Tournament.
