SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Penn's comfortable win over St. Francis (NY) wasn't hard, but it was definitely needed.
After a start marked by lukewarm performances against Syracuse and UTEP, the Quakers blew the game open early and tightened the noose on the Terriers in the second half for a 86-58 triumph.
Penn (1-2) raced out to a 26-7 lead after nine minutes on the backs of Tommy McMahon and Brian Grandieri. McMahon opened the floodgates with a strong offensive sequence. After penetrating and passing out to Grandieri for a three, the sophomore hit two of his own to extend the lead to 13-3 within a span of 90 seconds.
Outside shooting was the difference for Penn in this game. After shooting just over 25% from distance in the first two games, the Quakers shot 55 percent (11-20). In the fruitful first 13 minutes of the game, they shot 71 percent from three and 68 percent overall.
"We had balanced scoring, everyone contributed," said senior forward Mark Zoller, who led all scorers with 22 points. "I think we really emphasized the first five minutes of each half."
Toward the end of the first half, St. Francis (0-3) capitalized on Penn's sloppy ballhandling and put together a run to cut the lead down to 16. The Terriers eventually got it as low as 10, but that was as close as they would get after that.
"I still wasn't pleased with 17 turnovers, and it cost us in a little stretch there," Penn coach Glen Miller said. "I thought they got back in the game, and it made me a little nervous."
Miller's fears were assuaged by Zoller's strong inside play in the second half. The senior provided a perfect complement to the Quakers' outside shooting, attacking the rim inside and controlling the St. Francis big men.
"One of our big keys offensively was to pound the ball inside," Miller said. "In the first half we were looking too much east to west and not north to south. I thought we had a better balance in the second half."
Seniors Steve Danley and Ibrahim Jaaber quietly played a big role in establishing that balance. Danley poured in 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while Jaaber dished out eight assists and turned the ball over only once.
But the blowout provided opportunities for Penn's bench players, and many of them stepped in and had their best games yet this year.
Brennan Votel played 14 valuable minutes and had a strong night, hitting a three and contributing some solid work on the glass. And Adam Franklin had a rare moment in the sun, scoring seven points in three minutes during his first appearance of the 2006 season.
"They have some good talent, so I really expect them to progress." Miller said of the young players. "I've got a quick hook with them: they've got to adjust to the intensity of the college game."
"They're living and learning."
In a game that the Penn had wrapped up after 15 minutes, that may have been the biggest benefit.
Read much more about Penn's trip to the BCA Invitational in tomorrow's issue of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
