Turn Back the Clock: March 17, 2006

After clinching a second consecutive Ivy League championship, the Penn men's basketball falls just short of upsetting No. 2 seed Texas in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

March 17, 2006

Appearing in the Big Dance for the ninth time in 14 years, the Quakers went head-to-head with the Texas Longhorns, one of the top teams in the nation.

Led by Ivy League Player of the Year Ibby Jaaber, the Red and Blue gave the Longhorns a run for their money before ultimately falling short, 60-52.

Penn led 23-22 at halftime, due in large part to coach Fran Dunphy's savvy gameplan.

While the Longhorns' lineup featured several future NBA players, including LaMarcus Aldridge and Daniel Gibson, the Quakers used a controlled pace early to slow down the game.

Dunphy's gameplan effectively tried to eliminate the talent gap between the two teams, and allowed the Quakers to dictate the style of play.

And for the first 20 minutes, Penn controlled the game, limiting the Longhorns ability to score on fast-break opportunities, or in transition.

Although the Longhorns eventually took the lead midway through the second half, the Quakers remained competitive throughout.

Brian Grandieri's layup cut Texas' lead to one with 6:28 to play, and after the Longhorns missed a shot on the other end, the Red and Blue called timeout.

Coming out of the break, senior Eric Osmundson missed a three-pointer, and Texas went on a quick 6-0 run to push its lead to 47-40, and broke the game open.

The loss to Texas was the seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament defeat for the Quakers, who still have yet to win a game in the Big Dance since the 1993-94 season.

Penn made it back to the Tournament the following season, ultimately falling in the first round to a team from Texas once again, this time to Texas A&M.

The loss to Texas marked Dunphy's final game as head coach of the Quakers before he left for Temple.