Naltner provided a one-woman show in last night's loss to Delaware

There was more than enough blame to go around last night. Turnovers, fouls and missed shots plagued the Quakers all night long in another blowout loss to Delaware.

Yet when it came to success, the spotlight shone brightly on just one person.

Of all the Quakers, only tri-captain Monica Naltner elevated her game to the level necessary to beat a team of Delaware's caliber. She led all scorers with 25 points - more than half of her team's total - and also led Penn in both offensive and defensive rebounds.

Two-thirds of Penn's first half points came out of Naltner's hands, but she may have had an even bigger presence in the second half. The scoring formula - the only one that worked - was to get the ball to Naltner, who then attempted short jump-shots.

Sometimes those shots went in. Frequently, she was fouled. Naltner was 10-for-11 from the line, making seven of eight in the second half. For a five-minute stretch, she was the only member of the Quakers to score.

But after the game, Naltner showed no satisfaction with her career night.

"As far as I'm concerned I should have been 11-for-11," she said, in reference to her free-throw shooting.

The Red and Blue, however, will be anything but concerned. Coach Pat Knapp could look at the box score and see how his other two captains - Joey Rhoads, who led the Quakers offensively throughout last season, and Lauren Pears - combined for just four points, turning the ball over 12 times.

Yet Knapp saw some potential. Penn may finally have found another offensive weapon to complement Rhoads.

Naltner did not come out of nowhere; she started 35 games over the past two seasons. But the senior averaged about 8.9 points and 4.2 rebounds per game over that span.

In this young season, she has put up far gaudier numbers: 20.5 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Her 16 rebounds against Rider were a career high. Her 25 points (on 7-for-12 shooting) last night also trumped a previous best - set the game before.

"I think that Monica worked hard this summer and she came back ready to go in great shape," Knapp said. "She's gotten more confident in her shot."

That confidence showed last night, when she was the only one who looked comfortable with the ball. It also has made her an integral part of Knapp's offense.

"Obviously we're going to try to get her the ball," he said.

Naltner plays primarily from the high post. When she receives significant touches, the Quakers' game has another dimension. The 5-foot-4 Rhoads is most dangerous from the perimeter and behind the arc, but Penn lacked an inside presence.

The Quakers still need some other players to step up. They hit just 25 percent in the first half, and while they shot better in the second, they managed just 16 attempts. But although the offense still needs improvement, two threats is a lot better than one.

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