NEW YORK
Here's a note I would have liked to give each of the fans as they filed out of Levien Gymnasium Saturday night after Penn's 80-72 victory over Columbia:
In case you didn't know, Penn just won the Ivy title and became the first team to clinch a berth to the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
After the Red and Blue captured its third championship in four years, Columbia's athletic department ensured that the big victory, instead of featuring the wild exuberance typical of most Tournament-bound teams, would be anticlimactic.
There was no rushing the court -- the Columbia public address announcer said with five minutes remaining that all access to the court after the game was prohibited.
There was no cutting down the nets -- Columbia officials actually raised the baskets, which were suspended from the ceiling, out of reach immediately after the game.
There was no trophy presentation or team picture -- the Quakers went to the press conference loose and relaxed, but not giddy with elation as most teams appear after clinching a Tournament berth.
But the anticlimactic conclusion to the Ivy League title race exemplifies the way the Quakers have handled their Ivy opponents all season long.
Save one aberration -- this year's miracle overtime victory over Princeton at the Palestra -- the Quakers have had a methodical approach to the Ivy League season, both in perspective and in style of play.
Taking one game at a time. Nothing fancy. Making the shots they're supposed to make.
All of Penn's Ivy games were decided by more than seven points. The Quakers frequently used one or two offensive spurts to put themselves ahead, then finished their opponents off by clamping down on defense.
And Saturday's game was no different. The Red and Blue were able to hold the Lions to just four points in the first 10 minutes of the second half to blow the game open.
Penn head coach Fran Dunphy gave specific credit to Penn's defense during the run, but he could not name any significant adjustments the Quakers made on the defensive end at halftime.
"I think these guys beared down and just played great defense, decided they were going to be determined in their efforts," Dunphy said. "They decided they wanted to win this game and consequently, the championship."
The game also lost most of its flair due to tight officiating. The referees called 52 fouls, including 10 on the offensive end. The whistles left several key players -- including Steve Danley for Penn and Jeremiah Boswell for Columbia -- on the bench in key portions of the second half.
The closest anyone came to expressing the gravity of the situation was Penn senior captain Tim Begley, as he tried to describe the emotions of what is arguably the greatest postseason tournament in all of sports.
"You really don't understand the magnitude of everything going on around you 'til you get there," Begley said. "Everywhere you go, people are coming up and talking to you about the game, everybody in the whole country knows who you're playing on a certain day or night."
As Begley must be aware, the Quakers will not be able to rely on just solid basketball when they face their first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament. They will need to take risks and do the unexpected to get the chance to win.
But with three games remaining on the Ivy League schedule, we will have to wait a few more weeks to see if the Red and Blue have cooked up any surprises.
Michael Gertner is a junior biological basis of behavior major from Bellmore, N.Y. His e-mail address ismgertner@sas.upenn.edu.
