Penn men’s basketball endures heartbreak and triumph over long weekend

Penn men’s basketball faced two conference rivals — Dartmouth and Harvard — in New England over the long weekend.

On Saturday, the team defeated Dartmouth (9-8, 3-1 Ivy) by a score of 84-74, but the game wasn’t as easily won as the score suggests. The Quakers (9-8, 2-2) trailed behind the Big Green for much of the game before surging ahead in the second half.

Defense kept Penn alive in the first half

The Quakers defense kept the game competitive when turnovers slowed down their offense. Although the Quakers were not able to keep possession for long because of sloppy ball handling, the team still ran back to keep its defense tight.

Penn’s man-to-man coverage was a beauty to watch and clearly kept Dartmouth struggling to find open looks. Each player stuck to his man, each sticking close and staying light on his feet. The nimble defense stifled Dartmouth’s fiery offense to keep the score tied at 38 going into halftime.

Offense came alive in the second half

Penn’s offense woke up, and Dartmouth had no answer after halftime. In the second half, Penn shot 50% from the field and 50% from the three-point line, while Dartmouth shot 35.5% from the field and 20% from the three-point line.

The second half was also senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts and junior forward TJ Power’s offensive show time. Roberts and Power combined for 52 out of the team’s total 84 points, while the Penn bench contributed three points. Offensive rebounds, decreased turnovers, open lanes, and quick drives for delicate layups all added to a comfortable win.

It was a different story on Monday when Penn lost at Harvard 64-63 in Cambridge, Mass. Although both teams entered looking to extend their win streak to three games, Harvard (10-8, 3-1) ultimately came away with a one-point win over the Quakers.

A game of momentum swung

Roberts started the game off hot, scoring eight of the Quakers’ first 10 points to open with a 10-6 lead. But Penn’s shooting would quickly go cold, scoring just three points in the next six-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter, leading the Crimson to take advantage with a seven-point scoring run.

Just when the momentum seemed to favor the Crimson, the pendulum swung yet again. Senior guard Cam Thrower entered with some much-needed vitriol from the bench, hitting a big three to ignite another scoring run. The game ended with a total of 10 ties and nine lead changes.

A back-and-forth showdown to the last minute

With just 13 seconds left to go, a critical double clutch granted Harvard a 64-59 lead. But the Quakers refused to go away, getting to the line four times in the next 12 seconds to make it a one-point game. Sophomore forward Lucas Lueth intentionally fouled Harvard on an in-bounds play with 4.9 seconds left on the clock, giving the Quakers more time for a potentially game-changing play.

Harvard missed its only free throw shortly after, and sophomore guard AJ Levine was sent to the line after being fouled on a heave attempt from half court. He made the first shot to bring Penn within two.

Normally, a player would intentionally miss the second free throw so that his teammate could get the rebound and lay it back in for two extra points — which would tie the game. But, perhaps accidentally, Levine hit his second free throw, bringing the final score to 64-63.

Penn men’s basketball will face current conference leader Yale in the Palestra on Saturday at 2 p.m.