FINAL: Penn 80 Dartmouth 78

Penn: 80 Dartmouth: 78 End of 2nd Half

Danley makes both his free throws. Pattman runs down the court after the inbounds and heaves up a meaningless three from just inside halfcourt. It swishes, but the buzzer sounds before Dartmouth can do anything else.

If Glen Miller was upset after last night's double-digit win over Harvard, he is going to be absolutely irate after tonight's performance.

The Quakers were completely unable to stop Dartmouth inside the three-point line in the second half. It seemed like the Big Green was making just about everything, which is easy when you're able to get so close to the basket.

But what is really important about this game is that Yale lost 82-64 at Columbia, so the Quakers are 1.5 games up in the Ivy race. They'll have a chance to clinch when they host the Elis this Friday.

Penn: 78 Dartmouth: 75 :02.6 2nd Half

Pattman gets a good look from three but misses. The Big Green grab the offensive board but miss again from three. Danley grabs the board and gets fouled.

Penn: 78 Dartmouth: 75 0:15.6 2nd Half

Danley beats the press for an easy dunk, but Dartmouth comes right back with a baby hook inside. After the inbounds, Danley gets fouled and goes to the line. He misses the first, but makes the second. Dartmouth calls a timeout after it crosses midcourt.

Penn: 75 Dartmouth: 73 0:37 2nd Half

McMahon gets fouled and goes to the line for two clutch free throws. He misses both. Jaaber almost gets a steal but loses the handle. Alex Barnett hits a tough leaner in the lane. It's not nearly over yet.

Penn: 75 Dartmouth: 71 1:00 2nd Half

After the foul on Jaaber, the Big Green turn it over on an unforced backcourt violation. Penn is taking its time in the halfcourt offense, but Mosley grabs a steal. Zoller picks up his fifth foul stopping the easy basket, and Mosley makes both from the stripe.

Penn: 75 Dartmouth: 69 1:41 2nd Half

Ball fouls out as Zoller goes up for two. His solid self, he makes both free throws. Dartmouth takes another quick three and misses. Jaaber gets fouled going for an offensive board, and hits both shots.

Penn: 71 Dartmouth: 69 2:40 2nd Half

Danley picks up his fourth foul on a questionable call as Pattman drove to the hoop. He hits both free throws.

Penn: 71 Dartmouth: 67 3:00 2nd Half

Dartmouth is starting to get very pesky. They wrung a shot clock violation out of the Quakers and then went down the floor for an easy two. Miller calls a timeout.

Penn: 71 Dartmouth: 65 4:32 2nd Half

Solid play down the stretch is what defines good teams. Dartmouth is starting to look uncomfortable as the Quakers are starting to assert themselves. Penn is getting to the line and getting fast breaks while the Big Green missed a quick three coming down the floor.

Penn: 68 Dartmouth: 65 5:43 2nd Half

Jaaber pump-fakes Pattman at the three-point line and hits all three free throws. Pattman picks up another foul as Grandieri sinks one of two.

Penn: 62 Dartmouth: 61 7:21 2nd Half

In such a close game, all it takes is a stop and some good offensive execution in order to close a gap or open up a lead. Right now, Dartmouth is executing and the Quakers aren't. Even the typically-tiny Hanover crowd is getting really into it, and all the momentum is going against the Quakers.

Zoller picks up his fourth foul and has to be replaced by Tommy McMahon. Grandieri hits two at the line.

Penn: 55 Dartmouth: 51 11:54 2nd Half

Grandieri gets a tip-in on an offensive board and Dartmouth makes a free throw. Not much else to report.

Penn: 53 Dartmouth: 50 12:51 2nd Half

If the Quakers want to win this game, they're going to have to start playing some defense. The Big Green have no problem getting open on the baseline or getting deep in the post.

Penn: 46 Dartmouth: 39 15:57 2nd Half

Zoller comes back in and makes a statement with two strong post-up baskets and a jumper from the top of the key. The game is starting to open up as both Penn and Dartmouth are running, but the score isn't getting any closer. Neither team can get a stop.

Penn: 38 Dartmouth: 32 Halftime

Good defensive play now on both ends. Dartmouth gets a couple big blocks inside and Penn gets a pair of steals. It's going back and forth as each team trades shots or stops. Grandieri hits a patented midrange baseline jumper for his first field goal of the game. Dartmouth goes to the line and makes both.

Glen Miller cannot be happy with his team's defense. Dartmouth is getting lots of second-chance opportunities and weak interior D is leading to post-up opportunities and fouls.

Zoller, who sat out all but three minutes of the first half due to foul trouble, should return to start the second and may help get things back on track for Penn.

Some notes:

Jaaber leads all scorers with 12 points of 5-8 shooting.

Pattman seems to be a non-factor. He has six points on 3-8 shooting, and has two turnovers and one assist.

Penn is 7-10 from the line tonight, meaning it's already hit four more free throws than yesterday.

As usual, the Quakers are suffering from a negative rebounding margin. Dartmouth has three more offensive boards.

Good news for Penn out of N.Y. Yale is down 15 at the half against Columbia.

Penn: 32 Dartmouth: 25 3:55 1st Half

The Big Green are really breaking down the Quakers' shifting zone. But Jaaber helps keep some distance with his baseline driving and he's also guarding Pattman now. Reilly hits two free throws and Danley comes back in to replace him.

Penn starts throwing a few different defensive looks to try to get a stop; Dartmouth keeps getting to the line. Just as it looks like Miller is going to call a timeout, the Big Green turn it over and Kach gets two free throws.

Penn: 26 Dartmouth: 20 7:27 1st Half

Jaaber makes a beautiful left-handed reverse layup and also makes the and-one. Coach Miller goes to his bench early, as Justin Reilly, Tommy McMahon, Michael Kach and Kevin Egee are all on the floor right now. They're not helping, as Dartmouth keeps penetrating and grabbing offensive boards. Zoller is stuck on the bench with his two fouls.

Penn: 17 Dartmouth: 11 11:34 1st Half

Penn goes to a 2-3 zone and Dartmouth finds the seam in the high post. The Quakers go back to a man defense, and find Smith open on the fastbreak for another corner three. But the Big Green take it right back inside and keep driving and grabbing offensive boards. So far Jonathan Ball is sparking them with his aggressiveness.

Penn: 12 Dartmouth: 2 15:30 1st Half

Dartmouth starts taking it inside on the drive and gets a couple points and some free throws out of it. Mosley is about to shoot two for the Big Green. Votel replaces Zoller.

Penn: 8 Dartmouth: 0 16:50 1st Half

Darren Smith hits a three from the corner to open up the scoring for Penn. Smith, not Jaaber, has drawn the assignment of guarding Pattman. Jaaber hits a three off a screen and Dartmouth calls a timeout.

Penn is a half-game up on Yale coming down the stretch in the Ivy League. Last time around, Penn beat Dartmouth 73-53 at the Palestra. However, the Big Green's star player, Leon Pattman, missed that game. He'll be starting tonight, though, so let's see what kind of an impact he has.

Starters:

Penn

F Steve Danley
F Mark Zoller
G Ibrahim Jaaber
G Brian Grandieri
G Darren Smith

Dartmouth

F Jonathan Ball
F Jason Meyer
G Alex Barnett
G Leon Pattman
G DeVon Mosley