Monica Naltner keeps on getting better.
For the third time this season, Naltner set a new scoring high. Last night, she scored 37 points - 30 in the second half - to propel the Quakers to a comeback victory over Lafayette, 78-74.
The win snapped a three-game losing streak for Penn (3-3), while Lafayette (2-6) lost its fifth in a row. With three nonconference wins, the Quakers have already exceeded last year's total.
Naltner was dominant from all over the court. She shot 73 percent from the field and was a perfect 11-for-11 from the line. She also made four of six three-point attempts, including one with 1:30 remaining that ended the Leopards' lead for good.
"Everything was feeling pretty good that was going off my hands, especially in the second half," Naltner said. "I wanted to help my team and contribute."
Contribute she did: her 37 points were the most since Diana Caramanico dropped a record 42 in 2001, and the sixth-most in Penn hoops' history.
"It's quite an honor to be put with the rest of the people who are on that list," Naltner said.
Yet, despite her breakout, the outcome of yesterday's game was undecided until the final minute.
The Quakers led for almost the entire first half. But the Leopards opened the second half with a 4-0 run, and later added a 14-4 run. With two minutes left, Penn found itself down by seven.
But the Quakers made up that deficit within 30 seconds. Two Naltner three-pointers, sandwiching a Joey Rhoads jump shot, tied the game. Lafayette forward Brittany Purr turned the ball over for the third possession in a row, and sophomore Kelly Scott took advantage. She nailed her jumper to give the Quakers a lead that they never relinquished.
As usual, Rhoads joined Naltner at the top of the score sheet, scoring 25 points in addition to six assists.
"Joey and Monica are seasoned veterans, and they are rock," coach Pat Knapp said. "They take advantage of their opportunities. So, my hat's off to them."
Knapp was less complimentary of the rest of his team, however. Even though the 78 points were the most that Penn has scored during his three-year tenure, Knapp was far from satisfied. He is still waiting for another player to step up offensively, and he thought the Quakers missed too many open shots in the second half.
But he was most perturbed by the defense.
Lafayette "shot 52 percent against us - that's terrible," he said. "I mean, you can be happy when you win and all that, but we can't let a team drive to the basket and get open shots like they were getting."
The Quakers will deal with that problem tomorrow, when they begin preparation for their next game against American on Sunday. For now, they are happy to finally emerge victorious.
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