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M. Hoops Notebook: Shooting just enough to win

HONOLULU -- Good thing for Penn Thursday night's game wasn't the Susquehanna Shootout. While the Quakers struggled mightily from the foul line, their six for 15 performance was enough to squeak by Hawaii, 58-55. They would not have had much success in the student halftime shooting contest at the Palestra, though. Penn (4-4) made eight trips to the line against the Rainbow Warriors (7-4, 1-0 WAC) and failed eight times to make both shots. So when junior Steve Danley took to the line for a one-and-one with 21 seconds to play and a two point lead, the smattering of Quakers fans got nervous. Swish. Fittingly, though the 6-foot-8 forward missed the second. The same scene repeated itself with six seconds to go and Danley gave Penn its final margin of three. "We did not shoot it well from the foul line, but luckily neither did they," said coach Fran Dunphy. "Hopefully we'll get better at it." Forty percent was the Quakers' worst performance on the season from the foul line, surpassing a 10-of-21 outing against Colorado. It also brought Penn's season average down to 63.4 percent (111 of 175). BEHIND THE LINE The long-range shots weren't falling much easier, either. Penn finished with just four three-pointers in 17 attempts for 23.5 percent. That's on par with the season average of 25.5, but still well below what the team shot last year. The Tim Begley-led Quakers hit 34.1 percent from beyond the arc. On the current campaign, Penn hit that mark just twice -- a six-of-16 performance against Drexel and eight-of-21 against No. 1 Duke. DEFENSIVE MINDED As the old saying goes, defense wins championships. By now, Penn must be feeling pretty good. The Quakers have shown their prowess on the defensive end in their last four games against quality opponents. A large, physical Temple team managed just 50. Top-ranked Duke, averaging 81.4 points per game, was held to 72. No. 3 Villanova has scored 78 or more against every opponent except Penn -- when the Wildcats managed just 62 at the Palestra. And Hawaii, who hung 84 on then-No. 4 Michigan State, finished with a paltry 55, 15 below the Rainbows' season average. It's been a hard-nosed and aggressive effort of late, and the energy has paid dividends. "We think we're a very good defensive team," Danley said. "We've got a lot of guys who go out and put pressure on people, and we pride ourselves on that." NOT FOR LOOKS Danley sported a headband in Thursday's outing, but asserted that it wasn't a change in style. It was a precautionary measure as a gash in his forehead requiring 14 stitches was healing. "I think that's just them making me look silly," Danley said jokingly. He came down hard in the Dec. 7 loss to Duke and missed the Villanova game with a concussion. Everything "feels fine" now, he said. RPI WATCH What a difference a road win can make. Penn entered the Hawaii contest at 67th in the Ratings Percentage Index. When the Quakers improved to 4-4 against the nations fourth toughest schedule, that ranking jumped to 39. But don't expect it to stay there. Penn plays just two more teams with RPIs better than 60 -- Saint Joseph's and La Salle -- and four ranked worse than 300. The Citadel, who the Quakers will face Jan. 4, is the low point at 322nd out of 330 Division-I teams. HIT THE BEACH With one win under their belts on this trip, the Quakers will have some time to relax Friday before getting ready for Brigham Young-Hawaii on Saturday. The team will be traveling to Oahu's North Shore, known for its famous surf. The forecast calls for 20- to 25-foot waves, which is a bit too extreme for casual swimmers. Freshman Cameron Lewis was nonetheless excited to experience the surf. Coach Fran Dunphy took the team to visit Pearl Harbor Wednesday where they toured the U.S.S. Arizona memorial. Dunphy stressed the importance of understanding the history there, especially in the world after Sept. 11, 2001. LOOKING AHEAD After some fun in the sun, Penn will be prepping for its first matchup against a non-Division I opponent since 1993. The team will make the hour-long drive to Laie on Oahu's northeastern coast to face D-II BYU-Hawaii. The Seasiders (2-4, 0-2 Pacific West) are coming off back-to-back losses to Chaminade. But the Quakers are not about to overlook a team that played Big East power Louisville tough last season. "They're going to give us everything we want," Dunphy said. "It's going to be a tough game for us." And Dunphy knows better than to look past a lower-tier team, something Princeton did just this week. The Tartans of Carnegie Mellon handed the Tigers their first loss in 27 games against D-III opponents. That is a fate the deeper and more consistent Quakers should be able to avoid Saturday, if they play up to their level. The game against BYUH will tip at 5 p.m. local time (10 p.m. Eastern).Full coverage will follow on dailypennsylvanian.com.

BYU-Hawaii not one to overlook

LAIE, Hawaii ƒ_" The game program at Friday night's game between Brigham Young-Hawaii and Cheney (Pa.) noted that the Seasiders' next game would be Saturday against the University of Philadelphia. Oh what Penn's Division-II opponents have to learn. When the University of Pennsylvania rolls into town Saturday, the Quakers will still be coming off the high of beating a good Hawaii squad Thursday night. And BYU-Hawaii will have little time to prepare after being pushed to the limit by a Cheney team that featured nine Philadelphians the night before. The Seasiders (3-4, 0-2 Pacific West) fell behind early before playing 30 solid minutes to finish out a 66-60 win in front of a sparse crowd of about 200. Welcome to D-II basketball. Penn will take the court Saturday in a much different environment than they faced 30 miles to the south in Honolulu. The fans will be minimal. Band? Nope. Cheerleaders? Well, there were a few dedicated students, but it was far from organized. But regardless of the surroundings, Penn will have to play focused basketball, because no matter what the front of the jersey says, the guys from BYUH are there to win just like anyone else. Fortunately for the Quakers (4-4), their talent will be on another level. Against Cheney, junior Eric Boyce showed his shooting prowess, knocking down four three-pointers and finishing with 18 points. The guard is listed at 6-feet on the roster, but looks to be closer to 5-10. One way or another, the Folson, Calif., native can shoot. Inside, senior Austin Smylie found himself the target of a handful of backdoor passes that would have made Pete Carill himself proud. The 6-6 forward capitalized on a handful of uncontested layups, something he has been doing all season. Those are the bright spots for BYUH. There are a lot of weaknesses a deeper and more skilled Penn team will be able to exploit out of the gate. For one, the Seasiders, who lost back-to-back contests recently to D-II power Chaminade, cannot handle pressure. Cheney coach Cleo Hill shifted his defense into full and three-quarter court press during halftime and that caught BUYH completely off guard. Anyone who hustles has a steal waiting for them from the hands of Boyce who is the primary ball handler. Add in a lack of a transition game ƒ_" on offense or defense ƒ_" and the opportunities are endless for the Quakers. Penn's shooters should have little trouble with BYUH's 2-3 zone, not to mention having at last a height advantage ƒ_" a departure from the past four games against larger, more athletic opponents. But the last thing Penn ought to do is be overconfident. The beauty of college basketball is that any team can win on any given night. Just ask Princeton who was embarrassed on its own floor by D-III Carnegie Mellon earlier this week. This game should be a good learning experience for the Quakers, as the Seasiders appear to match up like any other lower-tier Ivy League team. After all, there are two games apiece against the Dartmouths and Browns of the world. Putting together a solid 40 minutes against an outmatched opponent would be just as valuable as that three-point win over the Rainbow Warriors just three days prior. Penn fans just have to hope the team that shows up isn't the elusive University of Philadelphia. NOTES: Penn's last game against a non-Division-I opponent was a 114-73 win over Haverford in 1993. * BYU-Hawaii's enrollment is listed at 2,000, making it the smallest school Penn has faced this season. By contrast, Hawaii (20,463 students) and Colorado (27,954) are Penn's two largest opponents this season. * Seasiders coach Ken Wagner has recorded 292 wins at BYUH against 149 losses. He is also the recipient of three straight Pacific West coach of the year honors. On the other side, Penn's Fran Dunphy has 294 wins and 158 losses. * BYUH's roster includes six players from the state of Utah and three from Hawaii.

Quakers hold on to defeat Hawaii 58-55

HONOLULU ƒ_" Everyone who thought the Quakers would be a little rusty coming off a 16-day break needed only about two minutes to change their mind. And much to the chagrin of head coach Riley Wallace, Hawaii could be included in that group of naysayers. One problem for the Rainbow Warriors: They forgot to tell Ibrahim Jaaber about the layoff. The junior guard continued his hot shooting, rattling off 24 points as the Quakers held on for a 58-55 win. Clinging to a three-point lead, Penn made smart passes and burned 45 seconds off the clock before senior Eric Osmundson drove the lane and got his layup to fall as coach Fran Dunphy watched from his knees on the sideline. That give the Quakers some breathing room at 56-51 with 50 seconds to play. "That was a huge play, I'm really proud of him for that. He needed to have that kind of game," said Dunphy who, along with his staff, dropped the usual coat and tie for a red and white Hawaiian shirt. But even 5,000 miles from home, old enemies don't go away easily. Foul shooting ƒ_" the Quakers' Achilles all season ƒ_" was what it was going to take to win this one. Penn hit four of its first 11 attempts before junior Steve Danley was able to convert one of two from the line with six seconds showing on the clock to seal the deal for Penn (4-4). It didn't hurt that the Rainbow Warriors (7-4, 1-0 WAC) found all iron from the charity stripe as well. Hawaii hit just 11 of its 22 free-throw attempts. The storyline here was Jaaber, who carried the Quakers on his back in most of the second half and shot nine of 14 on the game. Pressure the ball in transition? Jaaber was there. Harass the 'Bows' outside shooters? Check. And when sophomore David Whitehurst wouldn't get out of his way on a screen? Jaaber stepped back and launched a three over top of his teammate to give Penn a 50-41 edge with seven minutes left. The Quakers were playing in their first game since a 62-55 loss to No. 3 Villanova at the Palestra on Dec. 13. Hawaii, by contrast, had played five games (4-1) in that span. "It is what it is, and your guys just have to step up," Dunphy said of the break. His guys stepped up, the others didn't. Forget the two weeks off, the Quakers came out firing on all cylinders. Penn swarmed aggressively on the defensive end, forcing Hawaii to struggle even for easy shots. At the other end, the offense clicked ƒ_" at least at first. Junior forward Mark Zoller poured in the first seven for the Red and Blue as Penn had little trouble executing its offensive sets and its transition game. The Quakers' defensive pressure forced five turnovers in the first four minutes as they built a 9-2 lead. The initial lead was where the game was won. Hawaii played from behind the rest of the way, and that's exactly what Wallace told his team to avoid time after time. "You don't want to get behind because they will continue to score," Wallace said. The 'Bows never could get over the hump. They got tantalizingly close ƒ_" within one five times ƒ_" but couldn't come all the way back. Hawaii eventually found its rhythm in the first half and the home crowd of 7,176 at the Stan Sheriff Center awoke. The Rainbow Warriors erased a nine-point deficit and closed to within one 28-27 at the break. That was aided by empty trip after empty trip by the Quakers who made just one of nine three-pointers in the first frame (four of 12 overall) and had consecutive layups blocked in dramatic fashion. The long-range performance was nothing new this season. Penn is averaging just 25 percent from beyond the arc. There was some vindication, however, for Osmundson who hit a 20-footer from the right wing midway through the second half prompting a standing ovation from the Penn bench. Some relief for the senior who shot 39 percent from long range last season but has made just nine in 42 attempts (21 percent). That gave the Quakers a much-needed boost after Hawaii had reeled off four second-chance shots at the other end. While the offense cooled off, the defensive effort was as good as it had been in the previous two games against top-five opponents. The Quakers forced 17 turnovers including nine steals which went for 19 points. Wallace, though, was quick to criticize his own team for its ball handling. "Many of those were self-inflicted," he said of the turnovers. Whatever flow there was in the first half evaporated after intermission. Play became choppy, reminiscent of Hawaii's closer-than-expected win over 0-9 North Carolina A&T; here two nights ago. Foul trouble became a major factor for Penn as Danley picked up his fourth with nearly 14 minutes to play. The junior forward returned to the starting lineup wearing a protective headband after missing the Villanova game with a cut on his forehead. Zoller picked up his fourth with more than seven minutes to go. The two pulled it together and played aggressive but foul-free ball the rest of the way. On a night where the Quakers were outmatched physically, they made up for it with intensity, something Wallace emphasized, pointing to Penn's 28-24 edge in points in the paint. And a little stingy defense didn't hurt. "We took advantage of the fact that they had a couple of guys that didn't shoot it as well as they are capable of," Dunphy said. "For the most part, we did a pretty good job." One of them was senior Julian Sensley who came in averaging better than 16 points per game. Against double-team after double-team from the Quakers, Senlsley managed just four ƒ_" and the first two were the first points of the game. After that, the Quakers jumped out in front and try as they might, never let the lead slip away like so many other this season. Hawaii had the opportunity. In the final 10 seconds, Hawaii's Matt Lojeski got his hands on an inbounds pass from Osmundson but Danley swatted the ball out of his hands and earned another trip to the foul line. One make, one miss, then Sensley had his chance with a three to tie it. No good. Ballgame over ƒ_" at last. "We didn't want this to be another 'almost' game," Danley said. "It's important for us to go out and prove to ourselves we can win a close game." Penn certainly proved that, and they will be better for it come Ivy League play. The Quakers visit Division-II BYU-Hawaii Saturday. A full preview will be available on dailypennsylvanian.com. NOTES: This was Penn's first matchup against a team from the Western Athletic Conference. The Quakers have still not faced teams from the Southland, Mid-Eastern and Mid-Continent conferences. * Penn is now 3-4 in games away from the Mainland United States. The Quakers went 1-2 in the 1974 Rainbow Classic here and 1-2 in the 1997 San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. * The last time Hawaii played a team from the Ivy League was a 89-64 win over Yale in 1988. * Hawaii's Deonte Tatum led the team with a career-high 17 points. * 'Bows coach Riley Wallace, who has 306 wins at Hawaii is now 1-2 against the Ivy League with the other loss coming at the hands of Dartmouth. * Hawaii had won 34 of its last 38 non-conference home games before falling to Penn.

Tough test awaits M. Hoops in Hawaii

HONOLULU ƒ_" Penn comes into the Stan Sheriff Center here riding three straight losses, a 16-day layoff and the hangover from one long airline flight.

Tigers start slow, fall to Temple

PRINCETON, N.J. -- It took John Chaney 999 games at the helm of Temple to finally play Princeton, but the feisty coach is probably wondering why he didn't start sooner.

Quakers hold on to beat exhausted Drexel squad

Brownout

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - If Penn had any hope of keeping its perfect Ivy record alive, it was going to take a dominant comeback reminiscent of what happened against Brown last year at Franklin Field. This time, however, the Quakers did not have their experienced signal caller, Pat McDermott, under center. And that may have made all the difference. Penn's offense faltered out of the gate and never was able to put it together. And, for the first time in an Ivy League game this season, the Quakers' defense collapsed as Brown washed away the league's only unbeaten team. With the 34-20 victory, the Bears (6-1, 3-1 Ivy) forced a tie atop the standings along with Penn, Princeton and Yale. The win was Brown's first over the No. 25 Quakers (5-2, 3-1) since 1999, when the Bears won their last Ivy title. It also denied Penn coach Al Bagnoli his 100th victory at the helm of the Red and Blue. "We didn't play anywhere near as well as we're capable of, and I certainly would take the blame for that," Bagnoli said. "We had some decent field position and then some penalties, and we just couldn't seem to get over the hump." As expected, Brown's Nick Hartigan made the game all about himself. The senior tailback carried 39 times for 167 yards and two touchdowns. Not only was this more yards than Penn allowed to any other team this season, it was 13 more yards than the Quakers' last four opponents managed - combined.

Final: Brown 34, Penn 20

New Bookbinder's feels awfully familiar

Bookbinder's is every bit as Philadelphia as the Liberty Bell. And like the aforementioned tourist attraction, this venerable city landmark has a few cracks but nonetheless continues to draw crowds well after its first century has passed.

Quakers grind out win at Dartmouth

HANOVER, N.H. -- It took until the third quarter for either team to record a touchdown, but in a game that relied heavily on special teams, Penn came away with a win to open Ivy League play. The Quakers (2-1, 1-0 Ivy) took advantage of excellent field positoin, a solid kicking game and a few long balls from Pat McDermott to knock off Dartmouth, 26-9, at Memorial Stadium. The win was the eighth straight over Dartmouth (1-2, 0-1) for the Red and Blue. Here's a look at the scoring:

The smoking ban and the ballot box

Philadelphia City Councilman Michael Nutter doesn't ask for the smoking section when he goes out to dinner. And soon enough, no one else in the city will either, thanks to a bill to which the Council is expected to give final approval today. It's good to see someone looking out for the thousands of employees who work in restaurants and bars in the city. There are obvious health concerns associated with spending an eight-hour workday in a closed environment full of second-hand smoke. Proponents of the ban point to this as the main reason people shouldn't be lighting up during a meal. Oh, and the fact that it is a common courtesy to others. So long as Mayor John Street does not throw a hissy fit over the bill --ÿhe has threatened to veto the measure, saying it has been too severely weakened by amendments -- the antismoking bunch will have their way. Restaurants will kick the habit beginning the first of the year, while bars will have until January 2008 to comply. Chalk up a win for cleaner air, but what about the restaurateurs who just want to cater to their customers' demands? Shouldn't people be able to run their business as they see fit? Who are 10 members of the City Council -- that's how many supported the bill on its first passage, while seven were opposed -- to dictate what can and cannot be done in a private establishment? Alas, the stumbling block for the smoking ban that seemed like a no-brainer. Darn individual liberties getting in the way again. The ban is a terrific idea as a matter of policy -- I'd rather not have to deal with smoke when eating out -- and should be enacted. But the dissolution of liberty as a matter of principle should not be left in the hands of a group that could fit around one dinner table. The way this tobacco drama is playing itself out in Philadelphia is a mirror image of what has already happened in many major cities across America as well as eight states, including California and New York. Legislative bodies have taken it upon themselves to police the air. And in the case of something as petty as cigarettes, that's going a bit too far. Yes, the health risks associated with the workplace exist, but there are also risks to operating heavy machinery, and the government is certainly not going to eliminate backhoes. Smoking is not an issue that should be decided by government officials. Instead -- here's a novel idea -- the people should decide. Put the smoking ban to a vote. Polls conducted earlier this year have shown support for a ban -- after all, less than one quarter of Americans smoke. Chances are, Philadelphians would approve restrictions on public smoking if they were placed on the ballot this November. Then at least we can all know that limits to our freedom stemmed from democratic means. If Councilman Nutter were to seek a public vote up or down on the ban, he could present the case for the original measure, which was pronounced dead on arrival back in March. Since then, a delicate process of backscratching has produced the amended bill that will be voted on today, and in the process, some of the teeth have been taken out, thus Street's whining. So throw it out. Start over with the original no-smoking ordinance and let the people, not the council, decide. A public vote would not be original. Just last month, voters in Austin, Texas, approved a no-smoking measure. While the vote was tight, 52 percent to 48 percent, it had the support of roughly 33,000 people. Some difference compared to 10 City Council members. And Austin's bill goes further than what is proposed in Philadelphia. Clubs and other private establishments which would be exempt from the ban here must be smoke-free in the Texas capital. Other states are considering similar votes as well. A group is pushing to get Initiative 901 on the November ballot in Washington state. The statewide ban would supplement efforts that have already been successful in several counties. Antismoking advocates are doing the same thing in Ohio, where bans exist in 14 cities. Cutting out the smoke in restaurants and bars has worked elsewhere and has generally not led to a decline in business -- New York and California have seen continued growth in the restaurant business -- granted, there exists little causal relationship. It makes the workplace safer and the environment more pleasant for the majority of customers. It is something that should happen here in Philadelphia, but it is not a measure that should be watered down and rammed through City Council. A smoking ban should be a ballot initiative in this November's election, and voters should support it.

Quakers make quick work of Dartmouth

If anyone thought Penn would take it easy in the last three games of the season, Friday night's 64-37 drubbing of Dartmouth should should be enough to convince them otherwise. The Quakers (18-8, 11-1 Ivy) built a comfortable lead in the first half and held a hapless Dartmouth squad to just a field goal for the first 12 minutes. As Penn prepared to say goodbye to the class of 2005 in the seinors' penultimate game at the Palestra, sophomore Ibby Jaaber stole the spotlight, again. The 6-foot-2 guard snagged nine steals on the night to give him 80 for the season -- a new Ivy League record. And Jaaber -- who was just three years old the last time Dartmouth managed a win over the Quakers Feb. 2, 1987 -- showed off what is quickly becoming his signature move: the put-back jam midway through the second half. That reignited a Palestra crowd of 4,533 that had become complacent with a 20-point lead. Sophomore Mark Zoller led the way for Penn with 14 points and nine rebounds. The 6-7 forward and teammate Ryan Pettinella, had little trouble establishing themselves inside against a tall, but less athletic Dartmouth frontcourt. The Big Green (10-16, 7-6) had no answer for Penn's aggressiveness, as the Quakers compiled a 44-19 rebounding edge. Dartmouth may have won five straight before coming to Philadelphia, but after opening the game by making one of 13 shots and committing eight turnovers the game was out of reach by the third media timeout. The Quakers shot a cool 51 percent from the field -- their third straight game above the 50 percent mark. Dartmouth managed only 32.6 percent on the night. Up next: Harvard, who lost to Princeton 66-44 Friday, will visit the Palestra for senior night on Saturday at 7 p.m. Penn's four seniors will be honored before tipoff, and head coach Fran Dunphy indicated that would all be starting the game. "It's the worst night of the season for me," Dunphy said about saying goodbye. PROJECTED LINEUP: g Tim Begley g Ibby Jaaber f Jan Fikiel f Eric Heil f/c Namir Majette Notable: Jaaber's nine steals Friday also set a new single-game record for both Penn and the Ivy League. Ira Bowman (1995), John Wilson (1987) and Ken Hall (1981) shared the Penn record with eight. Dartmouth was the opponent on two of the three occasions, while Wilson nabbed eight against Cornell. Freshman David Whitehurst started his third straight game in place of Eric Osmunson. The senior guard was reportedly under the weather, and spent the night on the bench in street clothes. Penn last held an opponent under 40 points on Mar. 7, 2003 when Columbia fell 63-39 at the Palestra. Going into Saturday's game, the Class of 2005 has amassed a record of 82-31 (46-8 Ivy) while collecting three Ivy League titles in the process. Elsewhere: At Jadwin Gym: Princeton 66, Harvard 44 At John J. Lee Ampitheater: Yale 79, Cornell 63 At The Pizzitola Center: Brown 80, Columbia 56 Tonight: Harvard at PENN, 7 p.m. Cornell at Brown, 7 p.m. Columbia at Yale, 7 p.m. Dartmouth at Princeton, 7:30 p.m.

Begley and Jaaber explode for 22 apiece as Penn holds Forte to one basket in easy win over Brown

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The game plan for defeating Brown is simple: stop Jason Forte.

Quakers run away from Brown in R.I.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It was another tale of two halves for Penn. The Quakers took a 5-point lead into the locker room, but put the game away on a 40-13 run in the second half. Penn (15-7, 8-0 Ivy) would stretch the lead to as many as 31 before ending the night with a 79-62 win, its 11th straight. Senior guard Tim Begley and sophomore guard Ibby Jaaber paced the Quakers with 22 points each. The usually stoic Jaaber even cracked a smile after finishing a broken layup from Steve Danley to give Penn a 56-34 edge. That was the tone of the game from wire to wire -- the Quakers came to have a good time, and they did. After all, Penn now holds a comfortable three and a half game advantage over Saturday's opponent, Yale, in the Ivy League race with only six games left to play. The Bears (9-12, 2-5) looked lost after intermission as they continued to hoist three-pointers only to see them clang off the iron. Brown's leading scorer Jason Forte was held to 8 points. Junior Luke Ruscoe, who burned the Quakers last season at the Pizzitola Center managed only 4 points. On the night, Penn owned the glass with a 51-25 reboundind edge, led by sophomore Mark Zoller's 12. The 6-foot-6 forward also poured in 14 points.

Guards heat up at Lafayette

EASTON, Pa. -- Despite the frigid temperatures outside, Penn's perimeter shooters needed only two minutes to catch fire.

Quakers breeze past Lafayette

EASTON, Pa. - Despite the frigid temperatures outside, Penn's outside shooters didn't need but two minutes to catch fire. Eric Osmundson set the tone with a trey and Ibby Jaaber followed suit as the Quakers rolled to an 85-63 win over Lafayette last night. Jaaber provided the fireworks early on, draining his first three shots all from downtown. And he kept up the energy as the game wore on, finishing with a career-high 24 points. Osmundson proved his offensive mettle, tallying 10 points in 10 minutes to open the game and finishing with 20. Tim Begley also put up lofty numbers, but they were assists and not points as he made dish after dish to Osmundson and Jaaber. Begley finished with 13 assists, good enough to tie a Penn record while tallying only three points on seven total shots. But his four steals - of Penn's 14 for the game - and only two turnovers were the icing on the Red and Blue offense that was operating like a well-oiled machine. "I have much more fun passing the ball," Begley said. "I'd take 13 assists any day." More in tomorrow's Daily Pennsylvanian.

Quakers survive scare at Princeton

PRINCETON, N.J. -- It took two heart-stopping kicks -- one good, one bad -- but the Quakers still found a way to win on Saturday. Freshman kicker Derek Zoch put his first career 3-pointer through the uprights with 3 minutes to go in the game to give Penn a slim 16-15 lead. But the kick of the game came at the other end. Princeton's Derek Javarone had a chance to win it for the Tigers with 18 seconds to go. But this time the tables turned for Penn. From 41-yards with the game on the line, Javarone's kick sailed wide to the right. Just what the Penn football Gods ordered. Make it 20 in a row for the Quakers, and anyone will admit they've earned the last three the hard way. Today was no exception. The Quakers needed nearly 25 minutes of play to record a first down. But when they got it with 5 minutes to go in the second quarter, the momentum shifted dramatically. Quarterback Pat McDermott got things started with a 32-yard strike to Dan Castles, which ignited an 89-yard Penn drive to the end zone. Von Bryant capped off the Quakers two-minute drill with a 12-yard touchdown run to give the Red and Blue a halftime lead. Princeton added a touchdown of its own in the third quarter on junior Greg Fields' 8-yard run. With the score 12-7, Princeton coach Roger Hughes elected to try a two-point conversion that would later prove to be difference in the game when Matt Verbit could not find the endzone on the try. Penn answered with a 19-yard touchdown strike to senior wide receiver Gabe Marabella, and subsequently failed to complete a two-point conversion. Fields set up the Tigers' first strike early in the first quarter with a 49-yard punt return to bring the Orange and Black to the Penn 12-yard line. From there, kicker Derek Javarone was able to nail a 27-yard field goal. Javarone struck moments later after the teams exchanged fumbles in the Quakers' red zone. Princeton marched 32 yards to the Penn 15 until the defense managed a stop. But Javarone was able to put 3 more on the board with a 32-yard field goal. Penn improves to 7-1 on the season and a perfect 5-0 in the Ancient Eight. Princeton falls to 4-4 and 2-3.

Four down, three to go

When most Penn fans think of the Penn-Princeton rivalry, thoughts of February nights at the Palestra immediately come to mind. But on the eve of college football's 135th anniversary -- Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 in the first-ever game in 1869 -- it is easy to see that the rivalry has spilled over onto the gridiron as well.

Penn 17 - Yale 7: Quakers run record to 18

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- They do not talk about it in the locker room or on the sidelines. Many Ivy League football fans may not even be aware of it.

Football's Ivy run reaches 18 games

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- Running back Sam Mathews recorded a pair of touchdowns as the No. 22 Quakers marched to their 18th Ancient Eight win in a row Saturday at the Yale Bowl. "To go 18 in a row without anybody beating you, I don't know if the kids can appreciate it or will appreciate it until some time down the road," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. Junior quarterback Pat McDermott threw for 276 yards as the Red and Blue handed Yale its second Ivy loss of the season, 17-7. Sophomore kicker Peter Stine made his debut with the Varsity team by nailing a 25-yard field goal in the third quarter to put the Quakers in front for good, 10-7. This was Stine's first game since moving up from the sprint football team. Mathews gave the Quakers an insurance score at the end of the third quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run to cap an 80-yard Quakers drive. The junior tallied 169 yards on the ground including a key 40-yard dash in the fourth quarter to take the ball out of Penn teritory for good. The Penn defense held its own in the second half, allowing the Elis only six minutes and six seconds of ball control. Junior defensive back Brad Martinez sealed the win for Penn by forcing Yale's Ralph Plumb to fumble an Alvin Cowan pass on the Quakers 15-yard line as the Elis were making a late charge in the fourth quarter. "We knew we were going into a team that had a lot of fire power, that had a lot of senior leadership," Bagnoli said. "We knew were going into a place that was going to be desperate, already having one Ivy League loss, and pretty much knowing that when you get your second, it becomes tough to overcome." The Quakers improve to 5-1 and 3-0 in the Ivy League, while the Elis fall to 3-3 and 1-2.