With Penn up by eight against Harvard and with an open look, Brennan Votel was in a perfect spot to put up the three-pointer.
It is a shot that has only been successful for him 16 percent of the time so far this season, but he took the chance.
The gamble paid off, and as the ball swished through the net, Votel must have felt that it was going to be a good night.
The sophomore ended up playing 16 quality minutes for the Quakers off the bench in the win, scoring a career-high 11 points while pulling down four rebounds, two on offense.
Votel's three came after his back-to-back layup and jumper, and ended up as Penn's only successful connection from long-range of the night in 10 attempts. For Votel himself, it was a welcome change from his 2-for-18 showing from deep before Saturday.
And his burst of energy off the bench turned out to be just what Penn needed to put away the pesky Crimson squad.
"He's been putting in time before and after practice and . it paid off this game." Penn coach Glen Miller said of the guard's improved play. "Brennan played well and did a good job for us and gave us a big lift."
When Miller took Votel out of the game with the second half winding down, the fans responded, cheering and applauding his efforts.
"I haven't gotten as many minutes as I'd like to, or as many as tonight, and it's fun just being out there on the court," Votel said.
Kevin Egee came off the bench against Harvard also, scoring six points and dishing two assists.
Mike Kach is still getting into his rhythm, but chipped in four points and three assists from the pine.
The substitutes' consistent support is something that has been emphasized all year, and one of Miller's goals for the team as the season continues.
"I'd like to hopefully keep that positive and opportunistic approach in our program and I think it will pay off," he said.
Cameron Lewis saw his first minutes in a long time in the Dartmouth game, and quickly showed he knew how to throw his 6-foot-8 frame around, swatting the Big Green's shots away with authority for two blocks.
He also pulled down three rebounds in the win over Dartmouth, and the bench as a whole grabbed 10 of the team's 32 rebounds of the contest.
With a commanding lead that reached 23 points at times against the Big Green, Miller emptied the bench in the last minutes of the contest.
With Penn establishing a first-place spot in the standings after the weekend sweep, maybe fan favorites Adam Franklin and Joe Gill will even see more time.
