Coming into the weekend, Penn, Cornell and Yale were within a half a game of each other in the Ivy title race, but the Quakers made sure that didn't last.
Against a Big Red squad that was a whole lot tougher than most Penn fans would have thought, the Quakers eked out an 83-71 win that was closer than the score might indicate. There were eight lead changes (many in the second half) and five ties.
After slowing it down earlier in the week against Princeton, the Quakers remembered how to play fast, as they, as well as Cornell, pushed the ball. Penn caused 20 Cornell turnovers, many from a surprise source - Mark Zoller.
Zoller has been terrorizing Ivy teams on offense and on the glass (and he had 24 points and five boards), but his most impressive work was done in other areas. The senior forward had six assists and six steals - both career highs. Jaaber also had a nice game for Penn, scoring 25 points and playing all but one minute.
Andrew Naeve was one of four players for Cornell in double-figures, with 20 points on 8-of-11 from the floor, as well as 10 boards for Cornell. For Cornell coach Steve Donahue, a former Penn assistant and serious candidate last year to replace Fran Dunphy at Penn, he continues his woes against his former team, losing 14 in a row now against Penn.
