Crimson contains W. Hoops

As one reporter at the post-game press conference said last night at the Palestra, it’s not often when a team’s last game before the NCAA tournament is almost nothing more than a practice game. It’s another thing all together when that practice game comes against the two-time conference champion. But the Penn women’s basketball game was fortunate enough to be in such a situation against Harvard.  So coach Kelly Greenberg was able to rest sophomore center Jennifer Fleischer and give seniors Jewel Clark and Mikaelyn Austin all the ceremonial pomp befitting the only players to have been on both of Penn’s Ivy League champion teams, and not worry about the game’s final score. In the end, the Crimson (15-11, 8-5 Ivy) won a close, thoroughly entertaining matchup of the only teams to win the Ancient Eight title in the last four years, 72-67.  Harvard junior center Reka Cserny led all scorers with 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while Clark led the Quakers (17-10, 11-3 Ivy) with 18 points. Harvard jumped out to a 24-14 lead early in the first half, but Penn responded with a 12-0 run over the next 3:23, taking the lead on a Cat Makarewich three-pointer. The Crimson held the lead at halftime, 39-37, only to see it disappear 21 seconds into the second half on an Austin trey.  Both teams kept the score close and Penn had a chance to tie the game at 70 apiece with three seconds to go when Cserny stole the ball from Penn freshman guard Joey Rhoads and took off down the court for an uncontested layup to seal the victory. The Quakers will find out their opponent in the first round of the NCAA tournament next Sunday, with tournament play beginning March 20th