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W. Hoops' Austin grew up playing with the guys

(03/06/03 10:00am)

Mikaelyn Austin has been a tomboy her entire life. The junior point guard and sixth man of the Penn women's basketball team relishes this quality, and often found herself to be the only girl amidst a sea of males growing up. "I grew up around guys. My best friends were all guys," she said. "I knew I was a girl and they were all guys, but I never really considered the difference between us." Austin's mostly male friendships helped to cultivate her love for sports. Though she now focuses on basketball, Austin played a number of other sports as a child. Growing up in a small, Northern California town, she put on skis for the first time in kindergarten. "I started off skiing," she said. "And that's my love. They had a program where they would bus kids up to the local ski resort. It's exhilarating, it's my favorite thing to do." Having discovered her athletic ability, Austin wanted to try every sport that she could. She next stepped onto the baseball diamond, playing catcher and pitcher as the lone girl on her team for seven years. Austin enjoyed being the only girl amidst the boys. "I was pretty quick," she said. "And all the dads knew there was a girl on the team who was a pitcher, so they would get really upset when their sons struck out. I have a vivid memory of this dad yelling at his son and the kid crying. It was great." When the season was not right for baseball, Austin could be found playing in her local Pop-Warner football league. Once again, she was right in there with the boys and often found herself the target of opposing teams. "Once the other teams found out that I was a girl it was like, 'hit her with full force,'" she said. "I guess they just thought it was funny." It wasn't until seventh grade that Austin found her passion for basketball. She began playing club ball at the age of ten, but found the league to be dominated by the boys. "All they wanted to do was dribble and shoot and stuff," the current junior said. "I was tall, so I would just stand in the middle of the court and just jump up there and grab the ball and give it to one of the guys. So, I never really particularly liked it." At the age of 12, Austin moved from her small town and was too far from the ski slopes to indulge in her passion for the slopes. Instead she turned to the basketball court to fulfill her athletic needs. "I would go down and shoot free throws with my dad," she said. "We would go every day during the summer." In high school, Austin was one of the first freshmen to play on her varsity team, and led them to the Northern California championship that year. "It was kind of the first time I realized that basketball was probably the thing I should go with," the fine arts major said. "I was pretty good at it." When it came time to apply to college, Austin originally had no interest in Penn or any Ivy League school. "My dad kind of pushed the truth because I thought Ivy League schools were crazy," Austin said. "He said it was a good school and after I got back from the recruiting trip my dad confessed to me that it was Ivy League." But despite her father's urging during the application process, the pressure had not appeared before. "They never pushed me into sports," Austin said. "They never pressured me to do anything." Instead, Austin just went along with the other kids. "Everyone at school was talking about it and I just wanted to try it," she said. "I learned about sports because of the neighborhood -- the sandlot environment that I grew up in." Austin's parents continued to support her athletic endeavors, even moving to San Diego after her freshman year of high school to give her a better chance to develop her athletic talents. In fact, the Austins continue to follow their daughter for her basketball career. They are currently taking a three-month long vacation from sunny southern California to brave the bitter East Coast winter to watch their daughter compete. The Austins are able to maintain their careers on the road as Mike Austin, a retired professor, is able to work from home, as is his his wife, Betti. "We could work out of an apartment and spend two and a half months here," Mike said. "It made sense." The younger Austin is thankful for her parent's support. "I can never get away from them," she said. "It's not a bad thing though, I like them. I like them a lot." The fact that Austin's parents are able to be here to encourage her has helped the junior to excel on the court. This season, Austin consistently provides a much needed spark for the women's basketball team. "Mik is our player that can flat out score," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. "She comes in and gives us a flat out burst." Austin dominates from behind the three-point line, averaging 6.9 points per game, with a 29.7 three-point shooting percentage. She has broken her own personal record many times this season, scoring a career high six three-pointers against Harvard Feb. 11. "No matter where we are in the game or who we are playing against we can rely on Mik" Greenberg said. "She is an offensive spark." Though Austin has only started one game this season, she averages 18.4 minutes per game and has played in each contest No matter what role she plays on the team, Austin strives to contribute in any way she can. "I always want the team to win," she said. "And whatever I need to do that, I will."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/03/w-hoops-austin-grew-up-playing-with-the-guys

Clark battles injury for W. Hoops

(02/24/03 10:00am)

When she woke up on Friday morning, Penn junior Jewel Clark did not know if she would be able to play that night. She hadn't practiced in two days and was nursing a foot injury. Clark, the leading scorer of the Penn women's basketball team did play, and scored 16 points as the Quakers lost to Harvard, 84-80. She was back on the court Saturday night, leading the Red and Blue to a victory over Dartmouth, 58-53. Despite her injury, Clark was determined to be on the court. "I had a little pain," Clark said. "But it was nothing I couldn't handle. I wanted to play." Clark -- who played 34 of 40 minutes Friday night -- came out a little rusty in the beginning of the game. "I thought that she was a bit hesitant," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. "I don't know how comfortable she felt." Clark's teammates' play echoed many of Clark's hesitancies. Harvard (17-4, 9-0 Ivy)took an early lead, going up by as many as 14 points in the first 10 minutes of the game. The Quakers (11-11, 5-4) managed to cut Harvard's lead to eight at the half, but it was clear that Penn would have to improve its play in order to pull off the upset over the defending Ivy champs. And improve they did. The Quakers came out hot in the second half and were within seconds of handing the Crimson their first Ivy League loss in 21 games. With 13:19 remaining, Penn started a 10-0 run, coming within four points with 9:13 left. Harvard did not go down easily, though. The Crimson rebuilt their lead to 14 three minutes later, but Penn came right back. With only 39 seconds left in the game, the Quakers found themselves within one point after a Clark layup. Greenberg attributes this comeback to her team's defensive play. "I thought it had a lot to do with defense," she said. "We finally stopped some people and it gave us the opportunity to make some baskets and get back in the game." Penn's hopes were smashed when Harvard sophomore Reka Cserny netted a lay-up. With one second left, Tricia Tubridy hit a free throw to clinch the win. Though Penn was not able to pull off the upset, the team was still pleased with its efforts. "Every single one of them should just keep their head up because people stuck together," Greenberg said. "Things didn't go our way and we still stuck together." Penn junior Mikaelyn Austin led the Quakers in scoring with 18 points, coming on six three-pointers, tying her career high. Though threes may be her expertise, Austin does not purposely specialize in these shots. "I don't come out to shoot three pointers necessarily," she said. "It just so happens that three pointers are the hardest to guard a lot of the time." Coming into Saturday night's game, the Quakers were worried about Dartmouth's size and rebounding abilities, especially with sophomore center Katie Kilker having sat out of practice Thursday due to laryngitis. Kilker, however responded with 10 points in each of the weekend's games. Dartmouth's height advantage did not prove to be a problem for the Red and Blue. Penn outrebounded the Big Green 40-35, earning 19 offensive rebounds. "We outrebounded them, which doesn't happen too often for us," Greenberg said. "Nineteen offensive rebounds is huge, it gave us another opportunity to get another shot off." Penn was strong right from tip-off, building a 10-point lead in the first 10 minutes. "I thought right from the beginning of the game we were just attacking," Greenberg said. "We weren't waiting for things to happen, we were scoring." The Quakers began to lose momentum at the end of the half when Dartmouth (12-11, 6-4) went on a 10-0 run. But the Quakers would not relinquish the lead. The Quaker defense stepped up in the second half, holding Dartmouth's leading scorer Katherine Hanks to 14 points. "To be able to go out and win it a different way than scoring a lot of points is a sign of a good quality team with a lot of character," Greenberg said. "You can win in different ways."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/clark-battles-injury-for-w-hoops

W. Hoops prepares for Ivy foes without Clark

(02/21/03 10:00am)

It's hard for a team to go into the biggest weekend of its season not knowing if its star player will step onto the court. Especially when it happens to be a player like junior Jewel Clark, the Penn women's basketball team's leading scorer. Clark is still unsure of her status due to an injury to her right foot . "We have no idea yet," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said about Clark's status against Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend. Clark is optimistic about her chances of playing. "I don't think I'll be resting tomorrow," Clark said. "I don't want to, but I don't know." Clark -- who is averaging 19.9 points per game -- has not practiced for two days. "Somebody landed on my foot a little harder than normally," Clark said. "So it's just a little swollen." Clark may not be the only starting player on the bench this weekend. Sophomore center Katie Kilker is sick and her playing status for the weekend has also not been determined. "We're just going to play it by ear," Greenberg said. "It should be interesting." Despite these setbacks, the Quakers (10-10, 4-3 Ivy) are going into this weekend as they would any other Ivy League game. A win in Friday night's game against Harvard (16-4, 8-0) is a must if the Quakers want to keep any chances for an Ivy League title alive. But Penn knows that this win will not be easy. The league-leading Crimson already beat the Quakers this season in Boston, and this game promises to be another test. In order to beat Harvard, the Quakers will have to focus on getting the ball off the boards. "We know that they're a lot bigger than us in every position," Greenberg said. "So we just need all five white jerseys rebounding the basketball all 40 minutes." Greenberg expects Harvard's height advantage to prove an acute problem for Penn on the defensive end of the court.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/w-hoops-prepares-for-ivy-foes-without-clark

Close finishes the rule for W. Hoops

(02/17/03 10:00am)

(See below for corrections.) The Penn women's basketball team is growing accustomed to last-minute, clutch-the-edge-of-your-seat endings. Last weekend, the Quakers watched as the ball rimmed out in the final seconds, shattering the hopes of the opposing team. But this weekend, it was Penn who needed that last-second shot. Once again, Penn's prayers were answered. A last second basket on Friday night sent the game into overtime where the Quakers defeated Yale, 71-65. They lost to Brown, 83-72, Saturday night. Penn (10-10, 4-3 Ivy League) came into the Yale (4-15, 1-7) game running on the momentum of two big wins last weekend at the Palestra. Though that proved enough to get them through the first half, the Quakers found themselves in a dire situation as the seconds began to wind down. "They were just hitting everything," Penn sophomore Karen Habrukowich said. "And defensively, we kind of struggled." Penn led, 32-25, at the end of the first half, but trailed 61-59 with only 26 seconds to play. The Quakers fouled Yale's Julie Cohen, sending her to the line for a one-and-one attempt. Cohen missed the first shot, giving Penn a final chance. Habrukowich went for the win, shooting a three-pointer. The shot rimmed out, but bounced directly to Penn sophomore Cat Makarowich, who netted the easy shot. "We were really executing at the end, especially with Cat and the two points," Habrukowich said. "That really got us fired up to go into overtime. Penn dominated the overtime period against the deflated Elis. Junior Jewel Clark scored eight of the Quakers' ten points in the extra stanza, giving the Red and Blue an early lead, which it never relinquished. Clark led Penn with 24 points, and was helped by sophomore center Katie Kilker, who had 18 points, and Habrukowich, who scored 14. Clark and Kilker both earned double-doubles by grabbing 12 and 10 rebounds, respectively. Forward Lindsay Page led the Elis with 15 points on the night. Brown (12-9, 6-2) came into the weekend looking for vengeance after suffering their only two losses at the hands of Harvard and Dartmouth last week. On Friday night, Brown was victorious over Princeton and was looking to take care of Penn on Saturday. The first half was played to a near-draw, despite huge runs by the Bears and the Quakers. The lead went back and forth, but Penn finished the half with the advantage, leading Brown 41-40. In the second half, however, Brown came out and dominated. The Bears held Penn to a mere three points in the first nine and a half minutes, while adding 15 points to their total. Penn attributes this setback to their lack of aggressiveness beneath the basket. "What really killed us was the offensive rebounding," Habrukowich said. "They just went on a huge run in the second half." The deficit proved to be too great for Penn to overcome, as they fell by nine. Clark put up 21 points against Brown, bringing her weekend total to 45 and her overall points scored to 1,094. Just last weekend, Clark broke the 1,000 point barrier and continues to move up in the ranks of Penn's all-time leading scorers. She is currently in sixth place, trailing Shelly Bowers (1991-95) in fifth by 97 points. The Quakers' all-time leading scorer is Diana Caramanico who finished her Penn career with 1,808 points in (1997-2001). If Clark keeps up this season's average of 19.9 points per game through next year she could finish first on the list. Clark and the Quakers will take to the court at the Palestra next weekend in two crucial Ivy League games. They face league-leading Harvard Friday and third-place Dartmouth on Saturday. Winning both of these games is critical if the Quakers hope to keep their Ivy League Championship hopes alive.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/close-finishes-the-rule-for-w-hoops

W. Hoops cruises as Clark scores her 1,000th point

(02/10/03 10:00am)

Silence overcame the crowd at the Palestra Saturday night, as the teams, coaches and spectators held their breath, watching the ball circle the rim time and time again. "I thought I was going to be sick," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. The shot fell off the side of the rim, ending Columbia's hopes and bringing tears to the eyes of shooter Edyette Key. The last-second triumph handed the Penn women's basketball team its second win of the weekend. The Quakers defeated Cornell, 75-65, Friday night and inched by the Lions, 57-56. Penn junior Jewel Clark proved the star of the weekend, scoring a total of 54 points, including her 1,000th point at Penn. Clark is the 15th woman in Penn basketball history to achieve this feat. She now ranks 11th on the school's all-time scoring list with 1,049 points. Her next basket will tie her with Erin Ladley, who played for the Quakers from 1998-2001. "It was a really great feeling," Clark said. "It was really great to do it being a part of this team. I just love this team." A goal like this may be one many players strive to achieve, but Clark never gave it a second thought. "I never really thought about it before," Clark said. "Katie [Kilker] had to tell me about it at the beginning of the season." Clark's 1,000th point came with 4 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first half of Friday night's matchup -- a game the Quakers (9-9, 3-2 Ivy) dominated. Penn struck first and built a seven-point lead before the Big Red (7-11, 1-4 Ivy) scored. Cornell mounted a comeback, taking the lead for the first time with 7:24 remaining in the first half. The Quakers did not allow this lead to last long and regained control with 4:26 left at 25-22. The Quakers would not give up the lead for the rest of the game. Clark finished the game with 26 points and eight rebounds. Kilker, a sophomore center, proved indispensable under the net, adding 11 rebounds. Saturday's win did not come as easily. Columbia came out strong, jumping out to an early 11-point lead. "I give Columbia a lot of credit," Greenberg said. "They played tough." The Lions kept up their momentum throughout the first half, going into the break up 30-22. The Quakers came out of the halftime break fighting. "We knew what we had to do," Kilker said. "We knew we had to come out and win." Clark provided the spark Penn needed to get back in the game. She scored 23 of her 28 points in the second half, tying the game at 41 with 7:50 left in the game. "I didn't get warmed up until the second half," Clark said. "But that is something I am working on. You don't want to end a weekend with a bad second half." Clark continued to head up the Quakers' offense, as they built up the lead and held off Columbia. The Lions hit key free throws as the clock wound down, and the Quakers once again found themselves in a dire situation. The Lions inbounded the ball under their own basket with four seconds left. Key shot the ball and watched as it rolled around the rim and then fell to the side, giving Penn the upset win. According to Greenberg, the Quakers earned this win. "This team deserves a break like that one once in a while," she said.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/02/w-hoops-cruises-as-clark-scores-her-1000th-point

W. Hoops dominates Delaware

(01/29/03 10:00am)

According to Penn's women's basketball coach, Kelly Greenberg, last night's game against Delaware was just practice for the Ivy League teams the Quakers will face this weekend. "As much as it sounds silly," Greenberg said, "I told the team it was a practice game." But this 'practice game' ended up being one of the Quakers' biggest wins of the season. Penn defeated the Blue Hens, 57-47, last night at at the Palestra. Coming into the game, this looked to be a tough practice for the Quakers (6-8, 0-1 Ivy). Delaware (11-4) was ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in scoring defense and loomed ominously on the Quakers' schedule. But the Red and the Blue proved to be up to the challenge, jumping out to an early lead and keeping the Blue Hens at arm's length most of the contest. Penn junior Mikaelyn Austin came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 17 points. She had five three- pointers, including four in the first half. "Ima [Abia] and Mik [Austin] coming off the bench really changed the game," Greenberg said. "There's a great saying we have hanging in our locker room, 'Great teams are made of great benches,' and I really believe that." Coming out of the half up 27-23, Penn stretched its lead with a key 5-0 run. "We had the energy on defense" junior Jewel Clark said. "To have the offense, you have to have energy on defense. That's the biggest thing." Penn was leading 43-27 when Delware made a push to get back into the contest, mounting an 11-0 run to cut its deficit to 43-38 with 7:15 remaining. But due to early foul trouble -- Delaware committed seven fouls in the first nine minutes of the second half -- the Blue Hens' effort came up short. As the minutes began to wind down, the Quakers picked up their defense. Delaware only scored nine points in the last seven minutes after its big run. Penn built up a 12-point lead with 1:55 left on a layup by Clark and ended the game with a comfortable 10 point win. Blue Hens' star Allison Trapp was held to only six points -- the Delaware senior guard had averaged 17.4 points on the season. "We knew she was much more comfortable off the dribble," Greenberg said. "And we pushed her to the edges, and it worked to our advantage." In addition to Austin's game-high 17 points, the Red and Blue had two others in double figures. Clark scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, earning her fifth double-double of the season. Sophomore center Katie Kilker had 15 points on the night. The Quakers will take the energy and momentum from this final non-conference game into the upcoming series of Ivy League games. "It's time to get started," Clark said. "We are ready for the weekend, we've been waiting for this."

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/w-hoops-dominates-delaware

W. Hoops knocks off Lehigh

(01/22/03 10:00am)

Coming into last night's game, the Penn women's basketball team was in dire need of a big win. And that was exactly what they got. The Quakers (5-8, 0-1 Ivy) defeated Lehigh (5-10), 79-69, at Stabler Arena in Bethlehem, Pa. "It was a really good win," Penn coach Kelly Greenberg said. "It should give us confidence and keep helping us get ready for the Ivy League." The Red and Blue were coming off two narrow losses against Princeton and Saint Joseph's and needed this win as they head into the heart of their Ivy League season. "We knew we just really needed to win," Penn sophomore Karen Habrukowich said. "We played with a sense of urgency." The Quakers dominated from the beginning, taking the lead less than five minutes into the game on a layup by junior Jewel Clark. Penn never relinquished that lead. In her first start of the season, Quakers' junior Mikaelyn Austin came out with 11 points in the first half and finished the game with a season-best 14 -- four points shy of her career high.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/w-hoops-knocks-off-lehigh

Princeton escapes with victory in final minute

(01/13/03 10:00am)

It was a classic Ivy League battle as the Penn women's basketball team opened its Ancient Eight season with a nailbiter against its fiercest rival. The Quakers (4-7, 0-1 Ivy League) fell to Princeton (5-9, 1-0 Ivy League), 56-51, Saturday night after bringing the score within one point with only 47 seconds remaining in the game. "We all know we could have beaten that team," Penn sophomore center Katie Kilker said. This game was the latest in a series of close results for the Quakers, as the Red and Blue finished 3-3 in games over winter break. Princeton dominated at the beginning of the game, but the Quakers quickly fought back, going into the half with the game tied at 23. Coming out of the half, Princeton was first to the basket and the Quakers quickly answered, tying the game at 25 with 18:46 left. Princeton rebuilt its lead, and the score was 46-39 with 6:55 left, but the Quakers refused to concede. Kilker netted a pair of lay-ups bringing Penn within three, 46-43, with 5:10 remaining. The Red and Blue continued to mount their comeback, when Penn junior Jewel Clark hit a lay-up, making the score 50-49 at 1:49. Princeton's Katy O'Brian responded by netting two free-throws, increasing the Tigers' lead to three. But with only 47 seconds remaining in regulation, Clark dropped in two clutch free-throws, cutting the Quakers' deficit back to a point, 52-51. O'Brian answered by making two more free-throws with only 23 seconds left giving the Tigers a three-point lead, 54-51, and the Quakers a final opportunity to force overtime on their last possession Penn had an opportunity to tie the game at 54 with only four seconds remaining, but sophomore Karen Habrukowich's three-point attempt bounced off the rim, ending the Quakers' hopes for a victory. Clark led the Red and Blue in scoring with 17 points and nine rebounds, only one point away from her second straight double-double. Kilker finished with 12 points and six rebounds, and the Quakers were 19-of-57 overall, shooting 33.3 percent from the floor. Leading Princeton was senior Maureen Lane who had 18 points. The Quakers will continue on their quest for the Ivy League title in their next Ancient Eight game Jan. 31 at Dartmouth. "We know that next time, we aren't going to lose, and we have to take each game as if we are going to the tournament," Kilker said. "Each game is a step closer to the tournament and that is how we are looking at the season." Before continuing with its Ivy schedule, Penn will wrap up Big 5 play on Tuesday at St. Joseph's. * In other games over Winter Break, Penn finished third in the Navy Holiday Classic, losing to Fresno State, 85-80, in the first round on Dec. 21. The next day the Quakers recovered to beat the College of Charleston, 81-73, in the consolation game. Clark scored 25 points against Charleston to go along with 20 in the loss to Fresno State. For her performance, she was named to the Navy Class All-Tournament team. The Quakers won a squeaker in overtime at Marist, 91-83, on Jan. 3. Kilker had a season high 21 points in the victory. Penn fell to Big 5 rival La Salle, 63-57, Jan. 6 at the Palestra, despite Kilker's 13 points and eight rebounds. The win marked La Salle's sixth straight win over the Red and Blue. The Quakers bounced back from the loss, led by Habrukowich's 17 points, with a 75-66 win over Lafayette. Clark had a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds.

https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/01/princeton_escapes_with_victory_in_final_minute

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