In the team’s first game under new head coach Fran McCaffery, Penn men’s basketball put up a program-high 119 points against Division III Rowan.
The Quakers trounced the Profs 119-72 on Friday. After a powerful first half where Penn (1-0) gained a dominant 21-point lead over the Profs (0-1), the Red and Blue stayed on top until the final whistle. Senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts led all scorers with 28 points.
“I’m very proud of the guys,” McCaffery said. “Everybody I put in played well. We set the tone with our defense … and I haven’t seen too many games where we’re in the bonus with 13 or 14 minutes to go in a half. … We were driving the ball, doing a great job there with 49 free throws and out rebounding by 30.”
The Cathedral of College Basketball shook with anticipation for McCaffery’s first game heading the program. Over 1,500 spectators filled the stands on Friday, including newly recruited point guard Ethan Lin alongside former Penn men’s basketball guards and 2025 Wharton graduates George Smith and Reese McMullen.
After a victory in the tipoff by junior forward Augustus Gerhart, the 2025-26 season officially began. On Penn’s second possession, Roberts scored the Quakers’ first points with a three-pointer that came less than a minute after the first whistle blew. The Quakers would not trail for the remainder of the game.
Roberts scored 16 points in the first half alone, then garnered 12 more within the first five minutes of the second half. Meanwhile, Gerhart dominated the post on offense while also limiting Rowan’s attempts at the rim, and with 12 points and 9 rebounds, the Pennsylvania native stood one rebound away from a double-double.
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From early in the first half, Penn made a statement defensively by hounding Rowan with a full-court press, a strategy that Rowan could not find an answer for. This energy translated to offense as well, where McCaffery’s signature fast-paced playing style was evident.
“I tried to drive home to our guys transition defense and how fast [Penn] was going to play,” Rowan coach Eric Brennan said. “They play a fun style of basketball, and it seems like their guys are fully connected, sharing the ball, and making the right read.”
Freshman forward/center Dalton Scantlebury made an exceptional first-year debut as a heavy hitter in the post. Scantlebury finished his day with 17 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first Penn player to record a double-double in their first collegiate game since Penn’s all-time leading scorer AJ Brodeur in 2016.
“I think for me, it starts and ends with defensive rebounding. And tonight, the offense found itself too, but I think really going out there, crashing the offensive glass — that was the big mindset we had going in, and that was the focus point,” Scantlebury said.
The Quakers didn’t take their foot off the gas in the second half, with Roberts scoring 12 points in the first 5 minutes of the period. The senior star was unconscious from three, shooting a scorching 80% from beyond the arc.
“I just do my job the best I can. I know coach [McCaffery] can put me in the right spots, and it’s a dream [lineup] playing with these guys and for this staff. I’m really just grateful going into each game,” Roberts said.
As the lead grew, nearly every player on Penn’s roster got an opportunity, with 14 players getting in the scoring column as the scrappy Profs were unable to stick in the game.
Sophomore forward Lucas Lueth drives to the basket on Nov. 7.
Three Penn players were inactive for Friday’s contest: senior guard Dylan Williams, senior forward Johnnie Walter, and freshman guard Ryan Altman.
The Quakers look to continue in their winning ways this Sunday at American. As the first chapter of the McCaffery era begins, the Quakers have their eyes on the prize this season.
