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(09/09/98 9:00am)
It was late June and silent in the Palestra -- save for a few coaches, scouts and fans. The city's elite basketball players, as traditionally the case, were playing pick-up ball to keep off the rust. On one end of the gym, Penn juniors Michael Jordan, Matt Langel and Geoff Owens were working up a sweat against Temple alumni Eddie Jones, Marc Jackson and Rick Brunson -- all N.B.A. players last season. The three Penn juniors moved the ball swiftly around the court, scoring 15 points first and shocking the pros, delighting the small crowd. "It's not really a big deal," Owens said last night recalling the win. "It's just how the teams got picked and we ended up beating those guys. It's something we can say we did." While one pick-up game alone couldn't foreshadow the Quakers' season, keeping all 300-plus pounds of Marc Jackson in check -- even for 15 points -- is a major accomplishment for Owens, who last October wondered if he would ever play competitive basketball again. His performance in summer competition and in Italy on a recent Penn men's basketball trip reinforced to Owens what he internally believed all along -- that he was still healthy enough to play basketball. During a preseason practice last fall, the 6'11" center unexpectedly collapsed on the Palestra floor. Doctors initially believed that Owens suffered from QT Syndrome, a heart valve problem that would have made competitive basketball dangerous. For precautionary measures, Owens endured countless tests before doctors could rule out the syndrome. In February, Owens' doctors finally concluded that he was not suffering from QT and he began riding a stationary bicycle. Eight weeks later, after more tests, his doctors in Philadelphia cleared him to resume play. "Right when it happened, I never wanted to accept no," Owens said. "I thought I would get these little tests like a stress test and be done. Then, they got a little concerned and started more invasive testing, and I started getting scared. They suggested I sit out for six months." The impending return of the Quakers' big man, who has bulked up from a 195-pound freshman to 220 for this season, signals stronger interior defense for the Red and Blue. The return of a healthy Quakers center, with the subtraction of only Garett Kreitz from the mix, may prove enough to help Penn defeat three-time defending champion Princeton . "He's a good kid who's been through a lot but it makes it a little tough on us," Tigers coach Bill Carmody said. "They were a good team before him and now they will be that much tougher." On the Penn basketball team's recent trip to Italy, Owens showed flashes of brilliance. "[The Italian teams] were compared to extreme, high level, top-15 Division I teams," Penn assistant coach Steve Donahue said. "It was a lot more physical than the game played in college basketball." But Owens admitted he also showed signs of rust. He said he often rushed his shots, making all the mistakes expected from a player who hadn't played competitive basketball in 10 months. "Going into my sophomore year, I think I'd progressed a lot," Owens said. "I didn't consider myself the same player that I was. I could do so much more offensively. Personally, I don't think I am as far as last year. It's a step back, but it's kind-of expected." The Penn coaching staff, however, feels even in his current form, Owens serves as a valuable contributor. His improved jumper will allow the Quakers to play Owens -- who led Penn with 51 blocks as a freshman -- at center on defense with Penn senior Paul Romanczuk getting the ball on the low post offensively and Owens serving as an outside threat if the Second-Team All-Ivy faces double coverage. NCAA regulations now force Owens to wait until midnight, October 15 to practice full-court again with teammates. For now, however, Penn's center remains content with his performance in the summer league and Italy as indication that he is physically healthy. "I just always knew in my heart that everything would be okay," Owens said." Early indications prove his heart is, both figuratively and literally, ready for Quakers basketball.
(05/21/98 9:00am)
After losing two young standouts to Princeton, the Penn basketball team secured one top recruit. The scene walking into the Penn basketball office on Tuesday, May 12 starkly opposed the senior gala outside. Assistant coaches Steve Donahue and David Hooks sat quietly with Penn basketball coordinator Mick Keelan. Assistant Gil Jackson sat to the side, clipping his nails. Donahue and the Penn men's basketball program had been near to landing a recruiting class that that would have solidified the Quakers' frontcourt for the next four years. However, it never materialized as two of the three Ivy League blue chip prospects -- Chris Krug and Chris Young -- passed on the Palestra, opting to take their basketball talents north to Princeton's Jadwin Gym. What the Quakers staff was left with as a recruiting class was the least heralded piece to that jigsaw puzzle -- Dan Solomito. While he can't slam dunk a basketball with Krug's authority or power past an interior defense like Young, the 6'7" scoring threat may prove a steal for the Red and Blue. Mention of the New Jersey native was enough to raise the spirits in the Penn basketball office. A well-traveled eighteen-year old who left his Montclair, N.J., home as a junior to board at Boca Raton, Fla., basketball powerhouse St. Andrew's, Solomito has made a career of turning coaches optimistic. "I have confidence in him," Solomito's basketball coach at St. Andrew's, John O'Connell, said. "He's a straight arrow. He's not into smoking, drinking, partying." Penn's plan was to secure a frontcourt trio that would spend a year apprenticing seniors Jed Ryan, Paul Romanczuk and George Mboya before taking over. Krug, the most highlighted prospect, was sought after to sign as Penn's center. Donahue's No. 2 prospect, the 6'10" Young, was supposed to succeed Romanczuk at the four position. The Highland Park, Texas native averaged 15.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game en route to First Team All-Texas honors. But on May 5, Young followed Krug's lead to Old Nassau -- surprising a Penn coaching staff that thought if Young didn't go Quaker, he'd accept a scholarship from Boston College . That left Penn with just the third member of the recruiting class -- Solomito, the least-known of the prospects. At 6'7", Solomito was All-Boca Raton, averaging 19.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while playing all five positions on the floor. But sitting out the required year to transfer from Montclair, N.J., to St. Andrew's cost him in the recruiting process. "The reason he went to the boarding school is he originally is from Florida and did not like the basketball here," Steve Ricciardi, Solomito's AAU coach in New Jersey, said. "His father was transferred to New Jersey as a production director for ABC, so the family moved." Until he went north with his family, Solomito played for St. Andrew's middle school program under the eye of O'Connell. After leaving the program, Solomito stayed close with his future coach, who invited Dan to stay with him when his former teammates made it to the state finals in 1995. A week with his old friends in the glory of basketball success ultimately impacted Solomito's return to St. Andrew's, a move that not only brought back nostalgia, but at the same time provided him with a better basketball future. In the interim, however, Penn, Princeton, Yale and William & Mary were the only schools to give The Boca News Player of the Year much of a look. And the Quakers were the only program that treated Solomito like a player in their future plans. "He actually felt wanted at Penn," Ricciardi said. "He just felt it was a more comfortable situation. He liked the setting and education and hit it off with the coach." Another plus in joining the Red and Blue was it allowed Solomito to fulfill a promise he made to his parents -- that he would one day return home for college, so they could watch him play. Solomito's parents never saw him play at St. Andrew's. While the Penn coaching staff may have missed the ball on Krug and Young, most East Coast programs lost sight of the Solomito when he left home. Recruiters that followed him in Florida could not find him in the summer leagues since he returned home to play for nationally renowned St. Anthony's coach Bob Hurley. But perhaps the fear that Krug and Young would slip away helped Penn maintain a careful eye on the elusive sharpshooter in Montclair, where he worked out with Hurley over the summer between junior and senior year. Under Hurley's instruction, Solomito showed auspicious signs and more than just a basic understanding of the game. "I think he's going to be an asset for the program in the team version," Ricciardi said. "He understands the coaching of the game, not just the playing of it." Penn's plan is to groom Solomito for a starting forward position in the year 2000, easing the void of Romanczuk, Ryan and Mboya's upcoming departures. Krug and Young's decision to join Princeton should impact Penn when the current trio graduate. It will not be an easy loss to overcome. But all of Solomito's former coaches have only positive things to say about him. If his past is any indication of the future, the landing of Solomito should ease the difficulty of facing Princeton's top recruits.
(05/15/98 9:00am)
Chris Young is the latest high school hoops star to declare himself a Tiger Penn assistant coach Steve Donahue and the men's basketball program was close to landing a recruiting class that would have turned coach Fran Dunphy's mustache sideways with joy. It, however, never materialized, as two of the three Ivy League blue chip prospects, Chris Krug and Chris Young, passed on the Palestra, opting to take their basketball talents north to Princeton's Jadwin Gym. But what the Quakers' staff was left with as a recruiting class was the least-known piece to that jigsaw puzzle -- Dan Solomito. While he's not Krug or Young, the 6'7" scoring threat may prove a steal for the Red and Blue. "I have confidence in him," Solomito's basketball coach at St. Andrew's, John O'Connell, said. "He's a straight arrow. He's not into smoking, drinking, partying. He's managed to become the big man on campus without all that." Penn's plan was to secure a frontcourt trio who would spend a year apprenticing seniors Jed Ryan, Paul Romanczuk and George Mboya before jumping into the limelight. Krug, the most highlighted prospect, was sought after to sign as Penn's center. Donahue's No. 2 recruit, 6'10" power forward Chris Young, was supposed to succeed Romanczuk at the four. The Highland Park, Texas, native averaged 15.2 points and 12.3 rebounds per game en route to first team All-Texas honors. But on May 5, Young followed Krug's lead to Old Nassau. That left the Quakers with just Solomito -- the least heralded of the three. As a senior, he was All-Boca Raton, averaging 19.0 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game, playing all five positions on the floor. But sitting out his junior year to transfer from school in Montclair, N.J., to the heralded basketball boarding school in Florida cost him in the recruiting process. Penn, Princeton, Yale and William & Mary were the only schools to give the Boca News Player of the Year much of a look. And the Quakers were the only program that treated Solomito like a player in their future plans. "He actually said that he felt wanted at Penn," said Steve Ricciardi, Solovino's AAU coach in New Jersey. "He just felt it was a more comfortable situation. He liked the setting and education and hit it off with the coach." While the Penn coaching staff may have missed the ball on Krug and Young, most programs lost sight of the New Jersey AAU star when he left home for St. Andrew's. Recruiters following him in Florida couldn't find him in the summer leagues since he returned north to play AAU at home for St. Anthony's coach Bob Hurley. But perhaps with the fear that Krug and Young would slip away, Penn maintained a careful eye on Solomito, both at St. Andrew's and in Montclair, N.J.,where he worked out with St. Anthony's basketball coach Hurley and played in a local summer league with Florida State's James Felton. While he couldn't slam a basketball in ninth grade like Krug or power through an all-Texas front-court like Young, Solomito shows auspicious signs of becoming a player that will help the Quakers in years to come. "I think he's going to be an asset for the program in the team version," Ricciardi said. "He understands the coaching of the game. Not just playing it." The void left by Krug and Young's decision to join Penn's nemesis are not going to be easily overcome. But at least the landing of Solomito in a Red and Blue uniform should help soften the blow.
(04/22/98 9:00am)
It's not often that a team taking the field against an opponent with a lower winning percentage can look at it as a major challenge. But for Penn (12-17-1), this afternoon's game against Army (12-24) at Johnson Stadium serves as a crucial test for the Red and Blue in mental toughness. Army has internal strength. The Quakers have only showed it sporadically. Cadets starting pitcher Matt Cini stepped onto the Johnson Stadium mound Sunday carrying a 7.83 earned run average. The hard-throwing sophomore wasn't Army coach Dan Roberts' first choice to take the hill against Lehigh in the Cadets' biggest game of the season. Army needed a 'W' in the Sunday nightcap to sweep the weekend four from the Engineers and get back into the Patriot League playoff hunt. The young righthander, who allowed 8.5 earned runs last season, got the nod by default, as the rest of the bullpen was depleted. A shaky Cini looked like the rotation's mop-up starter early, allowing a second-inning leadoff home run to Phil Stambaugh to put Lehigh ahead. But then something unexpected happened. Balls became strikes, home runs turned to flyouts and big rallies transformed to runners stranded. Only two more Engineers would reach scoring position, as Cini retired 10 of his last 13 batters. Army scored twice in the bottom of the seventh to win it, 2-1. The mental toughness seen in gutty performances like Cini's explain why Army (12-24) is 4-1 in one-run games, despite an overall .333 winning percentage. Penn saw something to that extent from Sean McDonald in his past two starts, but the Quakers need to start seeing more of it. "Mental toughness does a lot," Roberts said. "But also, good relief pitching also helps." Both have served as Penn's undoing most of this season. Most recently, in Monday's doubleheader with Cornell, the Quakers squandered a 5-4 lead after six to lose 8-6 in the opener. Then, in the nightcap, the Quakers couldn't push a third run across in a ninth inning rally, falling 9-8. "Basically, [Army] knows how to win close games," Penn coach Bob Seddon said. "There's a knack for winning one-run games. We had our share. We had leads in a lot and let them go. There's toughness involved." Army closer Brian Abell's stats are less than stellar this season. He's 0-1 with a 6.23 ERA. But he usually seems to pitch just well enough to hold onto a lead, a perfect 4-for-4 in save opportunities. The Penn bullpen, however, has already blown 10 saves as a team. Quakers closer Travis Arbogast has the second best ERA on the team. But record-wise, he's just 1-5 with five blown saves. Arbogast has tossed 28 1/3 innings this season, dwarfing Abell, who has thrown 8 2/3 in nine outings, never more than an inning per game. Today's pitching match-up features another Army starter who like Cini until Sunday is yet to show much. Freshman Buck Adams, in just his second collegiate start, comes in at 0-1 with a 12.54 ERA. Roberts wants to push Adams to his limits today. "He hasn't pitched real well," Roberts said. "But I want him on the mound to see what he can do. I'll let him throw as long as he can and then he has three days before he'll pitch middle relief." Seddon scouted the Trenton, N.J., native last season and had hoped to make him a Quaker. "I saw him pitch in the Carpenter Cup last year," the Penn coach said. "He was a kid I had written this season. But he wanted the military." The Red and Blue will in turn throw a plethora of arms. McDonald, coming off the no-hitter, will throw an inning along with staff ace Armen Simonian, if he doesn't have to stay back in Philadelphia for a class review. Duff Blair, a freshman from Texas, is slated to make his Quakers debut. Ray Broome, Brian Burket, Todd Mahoney and Nick Barnhost each will likely see an inning of relief. Putting behind a series of late-inning one-run losses is never an easy task. And Johnson Field isn't the most friendly confines to start. But if Penn can win a tight one today, the team is on its way toward a valuable lesson. Confidence leads to success, and success breeds upon itself. Like Cini in the early innings Sunday, the Penn baseball team must prove to themselves that they can make the clutch plays. Only then will the Quakers, like Army, stand a legitimate shot at a winning streak and a postseason run.
(04/20/98 9:00am)
He didn't have going to Carolina on his mind. With a 4.65-second 40-yard dash and a 500-lb. bench press in the spring combines, Penn fifth year senior Mitch Marrow heard whispers from his agent, Jim Ulrich, that Green Bay would select him with its first round pick, No. 29 overall. When the Packers traded its first round pick to Miami, Ulrich predicted the Oakland Raiders would take a gamble on the former Quaker with one of two second round picks, No. 31 or 34 overall. But the Raiders' draft room preferred Washington lineman Leon Bender at No. 31 to the quicker Marrow, and then unexpectedly traded pick No. 34 away to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The pre-season All-American waited -- and waited -- slipping all the way down to the 12th pick of the third round, No. 73 overall, when Panthers head coach Dom Capers pulled the trigger. "I went in open-minded, I wasn't really expecting anything," Marrow said after receiving word that he was property of the fourth-year NFL franchise. "I'm excited to go to Carolina. It's a great opportunity." Marrow officially turns in his Red and Blue for Silver and Turquoise Thursday when he reports to the Panthers' training camp practice facility of Wofford College in South Carolina for his physical and first post-draft workout. Carolina, 7-9 last season, plans to return to the playoffs this season behind an improved defense. While Marrow may become part of the solution, he must first beat out a plethora of rookie defensive linemen for a starting position. Capers used his first round pick, No. 14 overall, on Nebraska defensive lineman Jason Peter. The fourth-year coach then selected Louisiana State lineman Chuck Wiley with the first pick of the third round. As the 13th defensive lineman selected overall, Marrow became the first Quaker to go in the draft since the Kansas City Chiefs selected Joe Valerio in the second round of the 1991 draft. There was pre-draft hoopla surrounding Penn wide receiver Miles Macik in '96, but nothing ever materialized. The Penn all-time leader with 25 1/2 sacks and 24 tackles for negative yardage, Marrow had his best college stats as a true senior in 1996, when he registered 16 1/2 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss for the 5-5 Quakers. Last season, however, the former all-Ivy struggled from the get-go -- first with mononucleosis, then with turf-toe and finally with an academic scandal as Marrow suited up despite status as a part-time student, a violation of NCAA rules. Ulrich did not comment on whether the illness, injuries or academic ineligibility hurt Marrow's draft status. But the 27-year-old agent expected the Penn fifth-year senior to have gone higher, comparing him to Oakland Raiders' defensive tackle Chester McGlockton, who recently signed a $30 million offer sheet to play for the Chiefs. "Dallas came down, took us to dinner and gave us a cell phone to keep in contact at all times," Ulrich said. "We thought they'd trade down [for Marrow]. But they took Greg Ellis at defensive end and that threw a wrench in everything. We thought the Eagles would trade down; they didn't. We thought he had a solid shot of going to Green Bay at 29. We thought he had a great shot of going to the Raiders. And it didn't work out." Marrow, however, wasn't the only all-Ivy expecting a look on draft day. Nor was he the lone Ancient Eighter to have his name called. Three rounds after Marrow went to the Panthers, the Arizona Cardinals took Dartmouth outside linebacker Zack Walz as their sixth selection, pick No. 158 overall. The 6'5" 228-pounder, who goes by the nickname "Blade," joins one of the NFL's strongest front sevens and is unlikely to see much playing time. Fifteen picks later, the Minnesota Vikings made a surprising choice in Harvard offensive lineman Matt Birk. At 6'5" and 306 lbs., the all-Ivy has NFL size paired with intelligence. But according to a scouting report on ESPN SportsZone, Birk is lacking in athleticism, and his inability to execute the long-snap accurately to the punter will hurt his chances of sticking around on special teams. With three draftees, the Ivy League has now sent five players to the pros in the past two seasons, one each from Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard and Penn. This trend bodes well for the Division I-AA football conference, which struggles to become thought of as more than just recreation from academics. Down the line, though, scouts won't judge Ivy League football based on when its star players were drafted. On-the-field performance is what counts. The same holds true for Marrow. Ulrich felt the former Penn defensive lineman deserved better than a third-round selection. If he indeed proves first-round caliber, few outside of Carolina will remember that his name still was on the draftboard even after 72 others were erased.
(04/17/98 9:00am)
The Penn baseball team faces Cornell in four must-win games this weekend at home. For the Penn baseball team, which in a week's span from April 4 to April 6 lost six straight in the Ivy League, this weekend's pair of doubleheaders at Bower Field against Cornell is no time to relax. The Quakers (9-15-1, 6-6 Ivy League) enter tomorrow's play trailing Princeton, the Lou Gehrig Division leaders (13-7, 6-2), by two games and four in the loss column. Penn's opponent, the Big Red (10-10-1, 5-3), is sandwiched between the Mid-Atlantic schools in the standings. With a pair of doubleheaders approaching on April 25 and 26 in Old Nassau, Penn still controls its own destiny toward the Ivy League Series. If the Red and Blue sweep Cornell this weekend and then sweep the Tigers next, Penn is in the Series -- no matter how the rest of the Gehrig plays out. But a loss in any of this weekend's four games puts the Quakers at the Tigers' mercy in making the playoffs. And a failed quest for post-season play spells disappointment for the Quakers -- a team whose bats this season have struck the cow with more potency than any Penn team since 1989, when current pros Doug Glanville and Joe DelliCarri shared the Bower Field spotlight. "It's really a must sweep," Penn designated hitter Mark Nagata said. "Without a doubt -- we have no choice." Heading into this weekend's four games, senior second baseman Joe Carlon is the talk of the Ivies, hitting .372 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs -- Rickey Henderson-esque numbers coming from leadoff spot. Outfielder Drew Corradini and shortstop Glen Ambrosius, who follow Carlon in the order, have also shown strength beyond that expected from tablesetters this season. Corradini brings a .576 slugging percentage into the weekend to go with his .444 batting average, while Ambrosius is hitting .303 with seven home runs and 21 RBIs. But the pitching, even though improved as of late, remains less than spectacular. Staff ace Armen Simonian (2-2 6.18) will start the first of this weekend's four with Sean McDonald (2-2 5.86) throwing the first Saturday. It is essential that he set the pace because Seddon will surely need his bullpen once he gets beyond Simonian in the rotation. "There is a long way that the other guys have to go to get to the level of Armen and Sean," Penn pitching coach Bill Wagner said. A dominating win in the first game of an Ivy League four-game series also has historically ripped the hearts out of the loser for an entire weekend. "If you can manage to beat a team bad in the first game and shut them down, the rest kind of flows," Simonian said. "You gain some confidence and if you're lucky, the other team loses some, rather than maintaining it -- increasing the hiatus between the two teams in the two, three and four games." The fact that the competition is the Big Red puts a slightly different psychological edge on the game. "Especially with Cornell," Nagata said. "Historically we've had great luck with them. If we win the first game on our home turf it will be quite to our advantage." For the Big Red, game No. 1 will feature staff ace John Osgood on the hill, unless Cornell coach Tom Ford decides he doesn't want his No. 1 throwing against Simonian. Not only does Osgood boast a 3-2 record and 39 strikeouts in just 33 2/3 innings pitched, he also helps himself at the plate -- stroking the ball to a .464 batting average and .714 slugging. Last weekend at Yale, Osgood smacked a decisive double in his complete game victory over the Elis. Also expected to take the mound this weekend for Cornell are Nick Bayer (2-3 6.55), Brian Williamson (2-1 6.57) and John Douglas (1-3, 5.20), three pitchers whose ERAs highlight them as high-risk candidates to fall victim to the wrath of Quakers' bats.
(04/10/98 9:00am)
In search of consistent quality pitching, Penn Baseball heads up to Harvard and Darmouth. and Kate Goldhaber The way things are going for Penn baseball, the Quakers will need to put multiple runs on the scoreboard in their first ups. Otherwise, if the past few weeks are any indication, the game will already be out of reach before the batters take a second round of swings. Quakers pitching has perpetually left the team stranded in the sun. Patiently awaiting the necessary three outs, Penn (7-13-1, 4-4 Ivy League) has watched its opponents rack up more runs than its Ivy League-leading batters can counter. Even more frustrating than a six-game losing streak is that recent offensive firepower from Joe Carlon, Drew Corrandini, Glen Ambrosius and Mark Nagata's red-hot bats has gone to waste, as the Quakers' pitchers remain unable to retire the side. "We just got to continue swinging the bats," Penn first baseman Russ Farscht said. "You can't carry the pitching. We just have to keep going and wait for everything to click." Penn pitching coach Bill Wagner can't be pleased by the trend of poor starts and blown saves. On Wednesday, Wagner's staff was unable to get the job done against La Salle. The coaching staff has discussed employing the Princeton basketball strategy on diamond -- slowing the game down, hoping that this will help Quakers pitchers focus both on the baserunnners and home plate. Things don't get any easier for the Red and Blue this weekend in New England, as the Quakers take the diamond for a Friday doubleheader at Harvard (11-7, 4-4) and a Saturday twinbill with Dartmouth (12-6, 0-4). For the Quakers to turn it around this weekend against the Crimson and Big Green, Penn coach Bob Seddon must get stronger performances on the mound from start to finish. In the weekend's first pair, Penn will have little room to falter. Seven of the nine Crimson starters are batting above the .300 mark. Even though Harvard is lacking in extra base power, the speed of tablesetters Hal Carey (12 stolen bases) and Peter Woodfork (10 SBs) are continually turning base hits into doubles. And most importantly, Harvard starters keep the opposition off the scoreboard. Crimson staff ace John Birtwell is looking much like a 1989 Orel Hersheiser -- a perfect 3-0 and yet to surrender an earned run in 18.2 innings. No. 2 starter Andrew Duffell isn't much worse, with a 0.87 ERA in 10.1 innings. Even the weaker half of Harvard's rotation is looking tough this season. Rich Linden is looking almost as strong on the diamond as he did this fall on the football field, allowing 2.30 runs per game. And No. 4 starter Garett Vail maintains a respectable 4.67 ERA. Penn will send struggling ace Armen Simonian and his 5.67 ERA to the hill in the first game and Matt Hepler in the second. "I'm going to try to work on being a little more focused," Simonian said. "I walked a few guys at Brown, which is uncharacteristic of me. I can't split on one or two pitches." Saturday in Hanover, N.H., should prove more palatable to the Quakers. Dartmouth got swept four straight last weekend, losing a pair to both Cornell and Brown. Big Green ace Dan Godfrey is off to a good start as shown by his 2.25 ERA. But the other Dartmouth starters last weekend were as cold as Hanover feels with the wind-chill factor early in the season. Unlike Linden, Big Green two-sport athlete Pete Sellers' arm is beginning to look best kept on the football field. The Dartmouth quarterback has a 5.70 ERA.
(04/08/98 9:00am)
The Penn baseball team began the game with two homeruns, but the pitching staff was unable to maintain the lead after two. Penn second baseman Joe Carlon led off yesterday afternoon at La Salle for the baseball team by crushing a Demi Derico fastball for his seventh homerun of the season. After Derico got Drew Corrandini and Glen Ambrosius to groundout, the Quakers' big designated hitter, Mark Nagata, took a Derico pitch over the DeVincent Field fence to put the Red and Blue ahead, 2-0. The way Penn seniors torched the baseball, this game looked to be over quickly. After the first inning, the Quakers' maintained a scoring pace of just under two runs per inning -- posting 17 tallies on the line score. But the apparent blowout was not to be, as the contest evolved into a two hour, 45 minute marathon that looked like something out of Coors Field, save the high air pressure. Seventeen was not enough for the Quakers as LaSalle won 18-17. Penn pitchers all afternoon proved unable to retire Explorers (6-17) at the plate. Quakers coach Bob Seddon took the ball out of starter Ray Broome's hands after 0.2 of a inning after Broome was shelacked for five runs on four hits. "Lord knows, he threw the ball 75 miles per hour today," Seddon said. "We hurt ourselves with bonehead plays and pitching." The Quakers (7-13-1) are now losers of six straight and are seeing its potent offense's chance at post-season play evaporating as fast as the speed has disappeared off Broome's fastball. Sophomore John Dolan succeeded Broome on the hill and pitched just slightly better. After four balls to Kevin Ibach giftwrapped an Explorers' run, Dolan got Jon Palumbo -- the eleventh Explorers batter in the inning -- to pop out and retire the side. Dolan stayed in the game to pitch the second and third, allowing two more Explorers to cross the plate. Then, Seddon turned the ball over to freshman righthander Adam Corleto and inserted Adam's older brother, Dave, behind the plate for support. But unlike the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, the Corletos were not singing "We are family" on the mound. Will Smith's "Boom, Boom, Boom, Shake the Room" was the more likely tune as Adam was hit hard by La Salle for five runs in three innings. "It doesn't matter who we put on the mound because everyone is struggling," Seddon said, Freshman Nicholas Barnhost took over in the sixth, surrendering a single, triple and a base on balls before Seddon lost patience and called Anthony Napolitano in from the bullpen. The sophomore managed to squeak his way out of the inning, and should have gone two more scoreless. But a costly throwing error by Ambrosius handed La Salle two crucial runs in the eighth, cutting the Quakers lead to one, 17-16. In the top of the ninth, La Salle closer Mike Cavallero shut down the Penn offense, sending the game to the final frame with the Explorers needing one to tie, two to win. With Napolitano having thrown three innings and closer Travis Arbogast in Center City on an interview, Seddon turned to his struggling No. 1 starter, Armen Simonian, to close the door. "Without Travis, Napolitano was the closer in our eyes," Seddon said. "But we brought him in earlier than I wanted." "I pitched more than three innings on Saturday, and it was a bit much," Napolitano said. "Seddon made the right decision." But, Simonian, the Major League prospect surrendered Penn's ninth blown save of 1998 en route to his first loss of the season. La Salle left fielder Barry Lopotan led off with a single, and Tim Slater reached on a fielder's choice. Shortstop Don Quinn, the number eight hitter, singled in the game-tying run. Simonian then got a force out, intentionally walked second baseman Jon Palumbo and retired the catcher on a sacrifice, loading the bases with two outs in the ninth for La Salle cleanup hitter Mike Fuchs. Fuchs lined a single into the outfield -- ballgame over. "Right now we're just not able to stop the bleeding when someone loses the rhythm," Napolitano said. "Once again we blew a lead in the last inning. You can win without pitching, but not consistently," said a frustrated Seddon. "Never in a million years." Offensively, the Quakers one-through-four in the order, had a game that all managers dream about. Carlon, Corrandini, Ambrosius and Nagata were a combined 10-for-24 at the plate, scoring 10 runs and driving in 12. No.8 hitter, freshman third baseman Jim Mullen, looked strong as well with the bat, going 3-for-6 and scoring a triad. But as baseball legend Yogi Berra often said, "pitching is ninety percent of the game." And no matter how potent the Quakers' bats, teams just don't win with ten percent strength.
(03/18/98 10:00am)
Going just 2-7 in Florida, the Penn men's baseball team needs a win today against the scrappy West Chester Rams. If Penn men's baseball coach Bob Seddon boarded a plane to Florida with standard 120-over-80 blood pressure, his juices were undoubtedly flowing all the much faster by the end of spring break. The Quakers' 2-7 road trip paralleled Penn's 3-6 clip in 1997 and the team's 2-6 start in 1996. Failure to hold late-inning leads, however, made this year's losses more disappointing that the outcome of past trips. Penn hopes to have more success up North as it begins its home season against West Chester at 3 p.m. today at Bower Field. The Red and Blue dropped its final five games on the road trip -- three times squandering a lead after the seventh inning stretch. "Our team didn't play up to our potential," Seddon said. "We let some games get away that we should have won." A 13.82 bullpen earned run average coupled with just a .277 team average at the plate and a team average of 3.1 errors per game leaves the Quakers room to improve all around the diamond. Center fielder Drew Corradini was named all-tourney, hitting .400 for the trip, while Penn designated hitter Mark Nagata batted .389 with 3 home runs and 15 RBI. And shortstop Glenn Ambrosius hit .353, scoring a team high 11 runs. But the rest of the cupboard was bare. Second baseman Joe Carlon (.289), and first baseman Russ Farscht (.261) were the only other Quakers able to average a hit better than once in four at-bats. Freshman Ron Rolph hit .500, but the reserve outfielder came to the plate just 12 times. In contrast, teams hit .347 against Penn pitching. "Nagata, Ambrosius and Corradini were the only three guys who really stood out," Seddon said. "But that's not enough to turn our record from 2-7 to 7-2. The Quakers' nine-game, nine-day road trip began March 6 in St. Petersburg, Fla., with a 7-5 loss to Eckerd College. Eckerd got the best of the Quakers again the following night, scoring 15 runs in the final two frames en route to a 21-9 win. The Red and Blue then rebounded to sweep a pair in Daytona Beach, shellacking Robert Morris, 24-5, and edging Miami (Ohio), 7-4. But Penn's record went South in Winter Park, Fla., as the road trip came to a crash landing with five straight losses -- 14-12 to Penn State, 7-5 to Rollins College, 15-0 to Miami of Ohio, 19-1 to Penn State, and finally 9-7 to Rollins. "It was a total breakdown," Nagata said. "We were all in amazement. Maybe it was too much at first." If the Florida competition overwhelmed the Quakers, this afternoon's home opener at Bower Field against West Chester University gives Seddon's club a chance to step toward redemption. Led by skipper Jack Hopkins, the Rams play hard-nosed scrappy baseball. West Chester was just 11-25 overall in 1997, but split a doubleheader from Penn last season. And in 1996, Hopkins' Rams swept the Quakers. "They're a pain in the neck to us," Seddon said. "We'll always see their best pitcher, even in a middle of the week game." This afternoon, junior Ray Broome takes the hill for Penn. The 6'4" southpaw was shelled last season, going 0-1 with a 7.16 ERA. This season, however, Broome has swept these numbers into the dust. In nine and a third innings pitched this season, the lefty has cut his ERA to 2.89, second-best on the team. Freshman Matthew Hepler and sophomore Sean McDonald will succeed Broome on the mound, with Simonian slated for the final innings if his right arm is no longer sore from throwing eight innings a week ago. Penn's skipper will also give Kevin Johnson a rare start in left field, replacing Trent Nagata. Johnson went 2-for-8 with an RBI in Florida. The sophomore is a dark horse in the five-way fight to win the third outfield job. While once again today's result has no implications on Penn's Ivy League season, a win this afternoon will go a long way in repairing the confidence of Penn, a team that could have returned to Philadelphia 7-2 if Florida games were all cut three innings short.
(03/05/98 10:00am)
The 1997 Ivy League baseball season ended, as expected, with Harvard rolling over Princeton 22-4 in the deciding game of the best-of-three title series. The red-hot Crimson went on to defeat Army in a best-of-three NCAA play-in and then took down UCLA and Stetson in the Midwestern Regionals before succumbing to Oklahoma State 10-7 and the Bruins 14-9. Second-year coach Joe Walsh led the Crimson to its best finish in school history, going 34-16 overall and 18-2 in the Ivies -- rattling off 12 straight wins to end the regular season. Walsh is expected to lead his Crimson back atop the Red Rolfe Division this year; however, this time around it won't be quite as easy. ·Red Rolfe Division Harvard returns eight of nine starting position players including 1997 Player of the Year Brian Ralph, a fleet-footed centerfielder who hit .390 as a sophomore last season. But gone from the roster is a pair of First Team All-Ivies -- first baseman Pete Albers, who hit .364 with eight homeruns and 46 RBI's in 1997, and starting pitcher Frank Hogan, who made every fourth Crimson game sponsored by the letter 'K'. Harvard may not even make it out of the Rolfe Division this season, much less back to NCAA post-season play. While Brown (5-37, 2-18 Ivy League last season) is still years away from giving the Crimson a challenge, both Yale (24-19, 16-4) and Dartmouth (22-16, 11-9) appear ready to seize the Ivy crown from Harvard. Led by First Team All-Ivy pitcher Eric Gutshall's vicious slider and the power-hitting bats of shortstop Brian Ivy and designated hitter Ben Johnstone, Yale will launch a potent attack on the diamond. Elis coach John Stuper enters his sixth season as skipper, acquiring a team that has a healthy mix of youth and experience, as well as a winning tradition. Dartmouth too will be competitive in '98. Although the Big Green finished third in the Rolfe last season, their 11-9 record would have been good enough for a first-place finish, had they played in the Gehrig. Ninth-year head coach Bob Whalen has reason for optimism, returning four First Team All-Ivies -- senior relief pitcher Dan Godfrey, junior catcher Eric Anderson, sophomore shortstop Brian Nickerson and junior third baseman Mike Conway. Nickerson led the Ivies in batting average last season, hitting .463 (63-for-136), while Conway finished one base hit below the Doug Glanville line (which is double the Mendoza) at .399. ·Lou Gehrig Division While the race for the Rolfe resembles a marathon, the Gehrig hunt looks more like a two-team sprint. Defending division-champion Princeton (20-25, 10-10) returns just one hitter from among the 1997 leaders, senior outfielder Michael Hazen. But the Tigers' line-up is solid from top to bottom and the pitching staff seems to always toss the cow just well enough to pick up the 'W'. Penn (19-21, 10-10) enters '98 with glaring holes defensively in the infield and question marks about who will replace A.B. Fischer and Mike Greenwood as the No. 3 and 4 starters. The Quakers, however, do have superstar pitcher/outfielder/first baseman Armen Simonian in their dugout. Simonian was among the Ivy leaders in both batting average (.365) and E.R.A. (2.73) last season. If his leadership wears off on the younger pitchers, the Red and Blue could rise to the top. Penn also has power-hitting first baseman Russ Farscht in the mix. The junior came out of the woodwork last season, shocking everybody, even Penn coach Bob Seddon, by hitting .372 with five homers. The Gehrig's two weaker teams, Cornell (13-26, 7-13) and Columbia (12-26-1, 6-14), shouldn't pose much of a threat. Both teams bulked their Ivy records last season against each other while struggling against the Quakers and Tigers. The Big Red has just one returning All-Ivy this season in shortstop Bill Walkenbach, while the Lions only legit offensive weapon is designated hitter Travis Hunter, who hit 14 dingers last season -- one more than the entire Brown team. With the Ivy season not starting until the final weekend in March, teams will have three weeks of non-conference play to get their games in order. But as early as training camp, one thing is apparent -- there is no single dominant team in the Ivies this season.
(02/27/98 10:00am)
For the final time this season, Penn hits the road to take on two lesser Ivy foes in Cornell and Columbia. What a tangled web we weave, when we go to New Haven and underachieve. Six weeks ago today, the Penn men's basketball team began its quest to unseed Princeton as Ivy League champions. With a 75-58 victory at Brown Friday, January 9, the Quakers showed they had the talent to manslaughter all Ivy opponents outside the Garden State. But one night later at Yale, Penn junior Paul Romanczuk fouled out after just 25 minutes on the floor as Quakers co-captain Garett Kreitz shot a meager 2-of-11 from the field. On the other side of the scorecard, Yale senior Matt Ricketts lit it up from the outside as Penn (16-10, 9-2 Ivy League) fell to the unheralded Elis 71-70 -- a loss that the Quakers have been unable to overcome. On Tuesday, February 17, Penn, as expected, fell to the Tigers on the Jadwin Gymnasium hardwood, 71-52, for their second loss of the season. But rather than this defeat pushing the Red and Blue one game out, the loss coupled with falling to the Elis earlier in the year, moving Penn two from striking distance of Princeton (23-1, 11-0), with only one head-to-head meeting to go. By losing to Yale, Penn has woven themselves into a tangled web of events, requiring a weekend sweep -- coupled with a Princeton loss -- to keep post-season hopes alive. And remember, the only team to date with a "W" against Princeton is nationally ranked No. 3 North Carolina. This weekend the Quakers close out their Ivy League road schedule with games against Cornell (8-16, 5-7) and Columbia (11-13, 6-6), the same two teams that will try "spoiling" Princeton's perfect Ivy record on the alternate nights. "Playing spoiler, that's always a second incentive," Cornell forward Brent Fischer said. "But at the same time we look at them as two really big games. If we can play spoiler for one of the teams that'd be great. But right now we are focusing more on Penn, because it's Friday." Tonight the Quakers will be in Ithaca, N.Y., to face the Big Red for a second time around. On January 31, at the Palestra, Penn beat Cornell 79-68 as Big Red junior center Jeffrion Aubry was in foul trouble from just seconds after the opening tip. The game that is gaining more attention, however, tips off 7:30 p.m. in Harlem as the "en fuego" Lions, winners of four straight, meet Princeton. In their earlier meeting on January 31, the Tigers beat Columbia by just 13 points, 58-45. It was the closest an Ivy team has come to the Tigers in the Jadwin all season. "In terms of keeping an eye on the scoreboard, we have a job to do and that's playing Cornell," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But I'd like to see Columbia do it. I think they're playing very well. They know Princeton's style so they have a chance." Third year Columbia coach Armond Hill, a former player and then assistant coach for Princeton, has brought the Tigers' offense with him to Columbia. Even though the Lions don't have the raw talent as the players running backdoor cuts in Black and Orange, facing this offense every day in practice makes for an interesting show as the Tigers and Lions meet in a safari of a game. "I don't know if any of our players can start for either Princeton or Penn," Hill said. "But any coach likes to believe he can win. Princeton is seventh or eighth in the country, which means we'll have to get lucky. They'll have to miss a few shots." Irrespective of the outcomes tonight, after the game the Penn and Princeton buses will depart on opposite paths, with the Quakers meeting the Princeton-esque Lions in the Big Apple Saturday night and the Tigers making the trip north to Cornell. Saturday's Penn-Columbia contest pits the run-and-gun, three-point shooting Quakers against the slower-paced Lions. In their first meeting, the Red and Blue came out on top by a narrow 70-63 margin as the Lions defense shut down Penn's long-range threat. The Quakers shot just one-for-eight behind the arc -- a season low for Penn in both three-point field goals made and shooting percentage from that range. "I was very impressed with Columbia when we played them at the Palestra," Dunphy said. "Armond [Hill] is a good man and he's getting them to win a few games." The struggling Big Red, conversely, will defend their home court from the Tigers. If both Penn and Princeton win their Friday games, Saturday's contest stands as the last chance to make the March 3 Tigers-Quakers contest meaningful. But if one considers the Lions beating Princeton dubious, Cornell accomplishing this feat far less likely. Defensively, Big Red coach Scott Thompson has not discussed with his team how to contain Goodrich, but Aubry indicated that as far as he knows he'll match the Tigers' big man one-on-one. "Princeton doesn't get the ball downcourt the same way as Penn," Aubry said. "To contain Goodrich and Princeton, we have to put pressure on the ball and break their pin-point passes." For Penn, there is nothing to do but come out and beat both their opponents. But that alone isn't enough to avoid mathematical elimination. Losing to Yale the first weekend of the season at the time may have seemed harmless. But it has taken the Quakers' quest for an Ivy title and put it into the hands of Columbia and Cornell. And if there is one thing tougher for Penn than beating Princeton -- it is counting on another Ivy foe to do it for them.
(02/18/98 10:00am)
PRINCETON, N.J. -- The boxscore from yesterday's Penn-Princeton contest gives an impression that both teams tried to play bombs-away from behind the Jadwin Gymnasium three-point line. The Quakers and Tigers each attempted 16 of their 43 shots from beyond the arc. With 37.2 percent of all field goals taken from downtown, one can't help but assume that both Penn coach Fran Dunphy and Princeton coach Bill Carmody had instructed their teams to shoot from the outside. From three-point land, Penn netted seven, while Princeton shooters connected on nine. Within two-point range, the Quakers hit 11 shots to the Tigers' 16. Given this information, it is usually safe to assume that the Tigers built their 71-52 lead simply by shooting the rock with more precision. But even though Princeton owned the higher shooting percentage, it wasn't exactly like Old Nassau beat Penn shot for shot, as in a game of horse. Princeton did not win last night's game by making the shots that Penn missed -- they won by not settling for those that the Quakers attempted. Instead, Princeton waited for better shooting opportunities, unafraid of implications of the 35-second clock. Although both teams tried an equal number of three-point field goals, the Tigers had better quality looks throughout most of the night, using the three-point shot a second option as a changeup. Penn, however, used the bomb as its primary offensive weapon, on many occasions without even looking first down low. Princeton's first option in the half-court offense was to get the ball in the paint to senior center Steve Goodrich. Then, if a Quakers defender left his man to help the Penn pivot on Goodrich down low, Goodrich would pass the ball back up-top -- providing the now-unguarded Tiger with an open look from three-point range. "[Goodrich] is such a force," said Princeton guard Brian Earl, who hit a pair of wide-open three-pointers off feeds from the down low. "You have to pick what is going to hurt you. We got the ball inside in double situations. And when Penn doubled down, he kicked out for three-pointers." The Quakers, however, were not as patient to launch an inside-out attack. Low-post players Paul Romanczuk, Josh Sanger and George Mboya took just a combined eight shots in 62 minutes. On most Penn offensive sequences, the ball danced around the perimeter until a guard decided he had room to take his defender with one-on-one isolation. Unlike Princeton threes, Red and Blue three-point attempts were failed one-on-one penetration, when the ball handler could get no closer to the basket. Hence, while the Tigers took wide-open shots, Penn often took the much harder version, with a defensive hand in the face. Such is indicative by the putrid overall shooting percentages of three-point bombers Garett Kreitz (0-for-6) and Matt Langel (2-for-9), who combined for just five points of total offense. "This system thing is overrated as hell," Carmody said. "We have a lot of players with talent." In psychology, this response is what one would call a reaction formation. Anyone at last night's contest knows that the system made all the difference. This does not mean that Penn needs the Tigers' offense. Penn, however, does need some offense. There were far too many times last night when the Quakers were going one-on-one with Princeton, making it look almost as if they were running plays out of a street basketball playbook. And while such a technique may let the Quakers beat up on their other six Ivy opponents, it just doesn't cut it against the defense of a team ranked No. 8 in the nation. For Penn, the most disappointing aspect of last night's display was that Romanczuk, the Quakers' big man and last night's most effective shooter, rarely saw the ball down low. The junior hit four-of-five from inside the paint for 11 points. But, had the ball been worked to down low on a more consistent basis, Romanczuk could have matched Goodrich's game-high 19. Goodrich shot an identical 80 percent from the field. But he took twice as many shots (eight-of-ten). Plus, he drew the Penn double team on many occasions, indicated by his game-high six assists. "You have to pick your poison a little bit," Dunphy said. Well? maybe Penn had to, but Princeton didn't. That is unless one considers isolation for Jordan, isolation for Langel and isolation for Kreitz as all poisonous. Last night, no isolation was particularly efficient. Nor did any have a fall-back option so long as the Tigers didn't become impatient and double team. Granted Princeton may just have the best defense in the country. But with that Quakers' trio in the backcourt, there's no reason Dunphy can't design plays to get the ball inside more often. Doing so could have resulted in the Tigers double-teaming down low, freeing up the Penn guard trio for better three-point looks. At the same time, it would have opened up higher-percentage shots down low. Last night was a classic case of one team beating the other on all cylinders. Princeton shot better from two-point range. Princeton shot better from three-point range. Princeton played better defense. Princeton had a better transition game. Princeton took better shots. But summed into one phrase, the Tigers followed an offensive game plan, getting the ball down low; the Quakers didn't -- and that made all the difference.
(02/17/98 10:00am)
March 9, 1995, was a freezing night outside of Lehigh's Stabler Arena, site of Penn's one-game playoff against Princeton to determine which team would proceed to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament. But it felt even colder inside, as an overtime three-pointer by then Princeton freshman Brain Earl rattled around the rim and into the basket, sending the Tigers into the tournament with a 63-56 OT win and shattering the hopes of Quakers faithful. Penn's loss marked the end to three years of Ivy League domination and the start of a new role as second fiddle to Princeton, who have beaten the Quakers in their last two meetings. Tonight at Princeton's Jadwin Gymnasium, however, the Quakers will have a chance for revenge. In the biggest game of the Ivy season, Penn (14-9, 7-1 Ivy League) will take on No. 8 Princeton (20-1, 8-0) in a battle for the Ivy crown. A Quakers victory would drop the two teams into a tie for first place. A Princeton victory, by contrast, would likely cement their third consecutive Ivy title. "I expect us to play our best game," said Penn forward Paul Romanczuk. "I don't think we need a perfect game, but we have to be sound defensively and offensively." Knocking Princeton out of sole possession of first place in the Ivies will be tough. The Tigers have lost just once this season, falling to No. 1 North Carolina in a game the Tigers were actually winning in the first half. Princeton coach Bill Carmody knows how to slow the pace of a game, while every member of the Tigers' starting five can deliver the knockout punch, from 6'10" center Steve Goodrich (12.2 points per game) in the middle straight down to 6'2" Brian Earl (13.7 ppg) at the point. "A lot of the same guys have played together for three years," Goodrich said. "We have a solid core. But the Quakers counter with weapons of their own. The pinnacle of attention, as always, will be Michael Jordan, who leads the team in both scoring (16 ppg) and assists (4.8 apg). Jordan scored 36 points in two games against the Tigers last season as a freshman. And this season, Jordan's taken his game to new heights. While Princeton knows they're the favorites to win, they also know that beating the Quakers is no small task. "Every team in the league is gunning for us," Goodrich said. "But Penn is the team we look forward to playing most."
(02/16/98 10:00am)
Penn junior George Mboya played monstrous defense on Yale's leading scorer Emerson Whitley Saturday. Two points, two assists and a rebound in 31 minutes of playing time are hardly the statistics to cut out of a boxscore and write home about. But for Penn junior George Mboya, these numbers don't tell an angstrom of the full story. Friday night at Yale was not only Mboya's best all-around game as a Quaker, but it was also the best defensive effort on the Palestra hardwood this season -- a court that has seen big names such as Rice's Jarvis Kelly-Sanni, Cornell's Jeffrion Aubry and St. Joseph's Rashid Bey. Trailing Yale 57-37 with 10:18 left in regulation, Penn coach Fran Dunphy called a timeout and inserted "Big George" into the lineup for freshman center Josh Sanger. This move matched the 6'6" Penn junior on Yale center Emerson Whitley. Whitley had spent the game's first 30 minutes giving the Quakers' defense fits -- lighting it up for 21 points on 7-of-7 shooting. But after the timeout, Mboya played fireman, turning the 'en fuego' Whitley cold as ice. Whitley wouldn't hit another shot in the game's final 15 minutes, going 0-for-5 from the field and turning the ball over twice. After entering the game for Sanger, Mboya did not return to the Quakers' bench as his defensive domination anchored a 12-0 Penn run which was part of a larger 24-4 Quakers' rally. The Kenya native was an especially clutch performer in the closing minute of regulation. With just 35.7 seconds left, Mboya's steal on Whitley gave the ball to back to the Quakers. And then Mboya tipped a loose ball off the offensive glass to Penn junior Paul Romanczuk with 13.0 seconds remaining. The tip set the stage for Romanczuk's game-tying free throw. In the final seconds, strong Mboya defense denied Whitley a good look at a buzzer-beating jumper. A hand in Whitley's face proved the difference between Penn's overtime victory and Yale's winning its third straight from Penn on a buzzer-beater. "I think he did an excellent job at stopping me with his defense," Whitley said. While Saturday night was undoubtedly Mboya's best game, his stellar defense was not a one-time phenomena. Penn's mid-game runs all season have come when No. 13 is on the court. The Quakers are 6-0 when Mboya is on the court for more than 20 minutes -- with wins coming against Rice, Lehigh, Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale and Brown. On the flip side, the Red and Blue are just 7-9 when Mboya has seen less than 20 minutes playing time. And the one game which Mboya never took off his warmups turned out as the Quakers' most embarrassing defeat of the season, a shocking 71-70 defeat at Yale. Apparently, Romanczuk and Penn forward Jed Ryan did just slightly better at stopping the Ivy League's No. 2 scorer than Sanger. In Penn and Yale's first meeting of the year, Whitley scored nine points on 3-for-6 shooting before fouling out after just 19 minutes -- lucky for the Quakers, because while Mboya stopped Whitley, the others could only hope to contain him. Two weekends ago, Mboya proved to be the key ingredient off the bench in the Quakers' weekend sweep of Harvard and Dartmouth. With Ryan breaking his pinky finger in that Thursday's practice, Dunphy had no alternative but to put the Rice transfer, whose minutes had been dwindling, back into the rotation. On the weekend, Mboya scored just four points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 46 minutes. But again, those numbers weren't the whole story. Two Fridays ago against Harvard, Mboya's defensive pressure keyed a first-half comeback, as he forced the Crimson into both a five second violation and a turnover for 10 seconds in the backcourt. Last Saturday at Dartmouth, Mboya was again a defensive monster, spelling the tired Sanger for 26-minutes and never missing a beat. But before Ryan went down with an injury, Mboya had fallen out of Dunphy's favor, dropping from an opening-day starter against Rice to below JV standouts Mike Sullivan and Jeff Goldstein on the depth chart. Mboya's minutes per game had fallen from 16.9 in the Quakers' first ten games to 7.5 in their next eight heading into the New England weekend. Many factors contributed to Dunphy's reluctance to play Mboya. None more so than his putrid 37.5 percent (6-16) foul shooting. But while Penn's free-throw shooting is prettier without Mboya, the Quaker's 'D' can get kind of ugly. "George did a good job," said Dunphy after remarking on Penn's season-long defensive. "He has the kind of athleticism that shuts some people down." Mboya's quiet demeanor may also cause him to get lost in the shuffle. Unexpected when looking at his 6'6" 210-pound stature is that the junior forward wouldn't even attend the Yale post-game press conference because he's not the type to talk about his performance. But as world-renowned management professor Peter Drucker wrote, "leadership comes in all different forms." Even as silent as Mboya is, his defense all season has translated into victories. And manufacturing wins is a sign of leadership. It's no surprise that within minutes after Mboya came into the game in the second-half Saturday, Elis' coach Dick Kuchen grabbed an assistant coach screaming, "We need leadership -- and we need it now." It doesn't say as much about character to talk trash up and down the court, shooting the ball on every possession. Silent and steady defense, however, makes a big difference. And that's what George Mboya has provided this season -- not just Saturday night but whenever Dunphy inserts him into the game.
(02/10/98 10:00am)
The 'Feaster'val is over for Harvard women's basketball. After downing second-place Penn 90-64 Friday night to earn their 32nd consecutive Ivy League win, the Crimson were shockingly upset by Princeton, 56-53, Saturday at the Jadwin Gymnasium. A Jadwin-record 1,135 fans turned out to see Harvard's All-American forward Allison Feaster. While the nation's leading scorer didn't disappoint the road crowd -- clawing her way to 34 points -- the fans were treated to a far greater bonus, a shocking Tigers' victory. With Harvard (16-3, 6-1 Ivy League) trailing 55-53 and 16 seconds left on the clock, Feaster put the ball on the floor, anticipating to dribble her way into closing-second heroics. However, pesky Tigers' guard Erica Bowman got her hand behind a high Feaster dribble, knocking the ball loose to sophomore Kate Thirolf, who converted one-of-two from the line after being fouled, sealing the win for Princeton. "I don't think Allison Feaster is ever going to forget the name Erica Bowman," Thirolf said in the post-game press conference. "This is definitely one of the best wins I've ever had as a player." The win could not have come at a more unlikely time for Princeton (11-8, 5-2), who was embarrassed on their own home court the night before by sophomore Erin Rewalt and the Big Green (10-9, 4-3). Tigers' coach Margaret Feeley could not have been too pleased with her team as a trailing Dartmouth pulled away with a 37-5 run overlapping between the first half and the opening minutes of the second. But Penn coach Julie Soriero believes Princeton is a better team than they showed Friday even though they may have caught a break facing Feaster on the second night of a back-to-back. "What might have been a factor is that we did a nice job defensively on Feaster [in Friday's 90-64 loss] so her coach kept her on the floor a little longer to keep her scoring average up," Soriero said. "Princeton though has good size inside and fairly aggressive guards. They can fluster a lot of people." This surprise win not only snaps a streak that was intact since game three of the 1995-96 Ivy League season, but also adds new life to the women's championship hunt. With Harvard's victory over Penn at the Palestra and Dartmouth's upset win over Princeton Friday night, the Crimson built what seemed an insurmountable two-game lead over the Quakers and Tigers. With Harvard's loss Saturday night and Penn rebounding to defeat the Big Green, however, both Princeton and the Quakers again stand just one game behind the Crimson, as they did when the weekend began. The Tigers will earn a chance to pull a Crimson sweep in Cambridge Friday, February 20. Penn has their shot at redemption and a potential share of the Ivy League championship the following night.
(01/28/98 10:00am)
Jeffrion Aubry's 6-11 frame has made him the Ivy League's premier shotblocker for the last two years. He's not exactly Manute Bol. But in the Ivy League, where the median size for a starting center is just 6'7", Cornell junior Jeffrion Aubry shares one similarity with the Sudan native -- an uncanny ability of redirecting opponents' shots back down to the hardwood. At 6'11", Aubry is the Ivy's tallest player. And not only does the Big Red center use his extra four inches to block shots on defense, the towering junior similarly uses his extra height on the offense end, playing dangerous, post-up basketball. When Aubry steps onto the Palestra floor Saturday night, he poses a double-threat to Penn's (7-9, 2-1 Ivy League) seven-year home winning streak against Cornell (5-11, 2-2). Offensively, the Big Red pivot owns a four inch size advantage on Penn juniors Paul Romanczuk and Jed Ryan, who will take turns guarding him. Defensively, Aubry threatens to cut off Michael Jordan's driving game and inhibit Romanczuk' post-up moves. If successful, he will force the Quakers to play the game on the perimeter -- a much more difficult task than making baskets with an inside-out attack. "We'd like to be balanced every time we play," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "But a lot of it depends on how they guard us." This season, the East Elmhurst, N.Y., native is averaging 10.5 points per contest to go along with his league-leading 2.1 blocks per game. Aubry also ranks fourth in rebounding at 7.2 boards per game. "He's a very good rebounder and very good scoring wise," Dunphy said. "But he's a totally different kind of player from [former 7'0" Dartmouth center Brian] Gilpin. Brian was a lot more polished offensively." When put in perspective, it isn't Aubry's offense that frightens the opposition as much as it is his interior defense. Whether he is containing the opposing pivot or helping out on a double-team, Jeffrion Aubry is making the basket feel smaller to the offense than it does during practice. Not only does Aubry's 29 blocks in 14 games dwarf the total of Harvard's Paul Kruse, who is second best in the Ivies with 13 rejections (0.9 bpg), but Aubry also ranks ahead of several Ivy League teams in what has become his category. In 16 games, the entire Penn basketball team has just 21 rejections -- eight less than Aubry has amassed alone while playing in two fewer games. "I take pride in the fact that my teammates know that if they get beat on defense, I'm there either to block the shot or get in the way," Aubry said. Aubry's presence is a big part of the reason Cornell allows opponents just 60.4 points per game, which is the second lowest total in the Ivies. Not only do the blocked shots take points off the scoreboard, they also keep opponents away from the basket, forcing them into the less consistent perimeter game. But as exemplary as his numbers are on paper and as spectacular as his frequent blocks may look, there is another side to Jeffrion Aubry. It is this aspect of Aubry's game that helps explain why the Big Red are just a 5-11 team. As a freshman, Aubry came into the Ivies with raw talent, but a game that needed much refinement. Two seasons later, his game has come a long way, but it still has glaring glitches. Foul trouble has been Aubry's biggest problem. Overcommitting defensively and going for untimely blocks forces him to sit on the bench for 15 minutes of the game. Aubry also suffers from an acute case of Shaquille O'Nealitis, hitting foul shots at a meager 51.0 percent (26-51). While this is a big improvement at the charity stripe from his 43.6 percent (17-39) shooting from a year ago, opposing teams know that if they put Aubry on the line, the team's unlikely to surrender more than one point. Last season, Aubry's line difficulties only had a limited effect, as the ball went the way of forward John McCord in crunch time. But this season -- with Aubry picking up some of the offensive slack left by McCord -- his inability to shoot foul shots consistently has forced the Big Red to abandon feeding the ball to the low post in potential fouling situations. Tall but lanky, a defensive star always in foul trouble, a solid post-up player who cannot swish a shot from the free throw line -- 6'11" Jeffrion Aubry should at least make an interesting attraction Saturday night."
(01/22/98 10:00am)
Doug Glanville will compete for the starting centerfield job of the Phillies against a rehabilitated Lenny Dykstra. He rewrote the Bower Field record book, earned Academic All-American honors in the School of Engineering at Penn, was drafted 12th in the nation by the Chicago Cubs in 1991 and hit .300 in the major leagues last season. He even wrote a 1993 transportation-engineering thesis explaining why a baseball stadium on 30th Street was logistical suicide. That was five years before the city of Philadelphia arrived at the same conclusion. Now 1992 Penn graduate Doug Glanville meets his most difficult challenge yet -- engineering the last-place Philadelphia Phillies out of the National League cellar. Glanville, 27, was traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Phillies December 23 for second baseman Mickey Morandini. He will join a Phillies outfield with other possible starters Gregg Jefferies and Bob Abreu. Now back in his college environment, the Teaneck, N.J., native is picking up where he left off outside the lines. The third-year outfielder arrives at The Jenks School, located on 13th and Porter streets, this afternoon to kick off the Phillies/Comcast Caravan promotional tour. Baseball and otherwise, he is back for a second stint. "It's a good feeling even when I landed," Glanville said. "I had a good experience at Penn and it's nice to come back." Glanville had a tough transition from the Ivy Leagues to the park with an Ivy wall. After spending five sporadic years in the minors, he hit just .241 in 83 at bats with Chicago in 1996. Last season, however, the 6'2", 175-pound outfielder blossomed, batting .300 with four home runs, 35 runs batted in, 79 runs scored and 19 stolen bases. Defensively, Glanville also shined, displaying both a solid glove and arm. The defensive skills took less time to develop, once tagged by a 1991 Cape Cod League scout as "the best that he'd seen in 15 years." "We identified him as the type of player who fits with what we are trying to do, defensive skills," Phillies General Manager Ed Wade said. "He can be our centerfielder and leadoff hitter for a long time." In addition to hitting .300, Glanville proved especially valuable in crucial situations, hitting .348 from the seventh inning on in games and .688 (11-for-16) with the bases loaded. Even more impressive was his .359 average on 0-2 counts, a testament to his ability at lay off bad pitches when behind in the count. "The 0-2 pitch is a mistake pitch," Penn baseball coach Bob Seddon said. "Initially, they may have not been as careful with him." Glanville's only competition for the starting centerfield job is Len Dykstra, 34, who has been out of action since July 1996 back surgery. Nicknamed "Nails" for his toughness, Dykstra insists he will follow in former Philly Darren Daulton's footsteps and make a healthy return. But the Phillies front office would prefer to see the younger, cheaper Glanville in the lineup. "[Phillies manager] Terry Francona and I have talked quite a bit," Wade said. "And if Lenny is playing, we will see Glanville still gets playing time." Wade's interest in Glanville emerged before the 1997 all-star break, when the outfielder showed that he could potentially fill Dykstra's void on an everyday basis. Initially, neither Cubs General Manager Ed Lynch nor President Andy McPhail planned to trade their former first round pick. But the situation changed during winter meetings, after the Cubs snagged power-hitting leftfielder Henry Rodriguez from the financially troubled Montreal Expos. "It got serious contact just before Christmas," Wade said. "It was them needing to fill a need at second base with Sandberg retiring that caused interest in Mickey." In addition to the Cubs' need to fill its void at second, the Rodriguez transaction, which joined him with fellow all-star outfielders Sammy Sosa and Lance Johnson on the Cubs' roster, made Glanville doubly expendable in Chicago. "Getting him was a good move," Glanville said. "I thought they'd be looking for a leftfielder because my natural position is center. But I didn't expect to be traded. I thought it was a decision between Lance and myself." In Glanville, the Phillies get not just a solid athlete but also a dedicated individual. At Penn, where academics were his number one priority and athletics extracurricular, the outfielder confronted decisions that displayed this ethic. Sophomore year, Glanville turned down an opportunity to tour Taiwan with the U.S. National Team because travel interfered with his Engineering midterm schedule. As a junior, then-Angels scout Al Goldis planned to observe Glanville play in a meaningless game against Temple. However, Glanville missed the contest by choice to study for an exam. "[Goldis] came to me and said, 'Where's Glanville?'," Seddon said. "Goldis was shocked that he missed the game because of exams. But I approved of the decision." Glanville viewed his own decision as a prioritization issue, not a baseball issue. "As a result, the criticism I took was that I didn't have passion for the game," Glanville said. "It took about three years for me to live it down. But sometimes, you just have to do what you believe in. It would have been easy to play where I had a free ride, fans and not focus on academics. To play [at Penn], you really have to want to play." Glanville left Penn after his junior year, accepting a $250,000 signing bonus from the Cubs, but returned in the off-season to finish his degree. His final project was an oral presentation discussing why Philadelphia could not adapt its transportation systems enough to permit a Major League Baseball stadium at 30th and Market streets. "Talking to Septa, the main thing was where to store the blue lines," Glanville said. "Veterans Stadium can store extra trains, but building storage capacity at 30th Street would have been very expensive." At first glance it is more difficult to attribute similarities to Engineering and baseball. The differences are glaring, but it is the precision, dedication and careful attention to detail of the the science and the American pasttime that cooperate in the end. These attributes travel with Penn alum Doug Glanville to work everyday, whether he's laying the groundwork for a better Veterans Stadium or helping to improve the team that plays there.
(01/15/98 10:00am)
Coach Julie Soriero wrapped up practice yesterday with freshman point guard Erin Ladley on the line shooting a pair of foul shots. If she missed, the team had to run. The Quakers did wind sprints. After a shuttle run on the Weightman Hall court, Soriero transformed from coach into teacher, explaining to her young team the reason for placing the added pressure on her point guard. "They'll be looking to foul our point guard hard late in the game," Soriero told her team. The ninth-year Quakers' coach wanted to acclimate Ladley to pressure situations, such as standing behind the charity stripe late in a contest. With the departure of last year's point guards Chelsea Hathaway and Hope Smith, Ladley was immediately thrown into action this season. Although she had never played in the backcourt before, Ladley was asked to try out as Penn's ball distributor. Early on, it was a struggle. But last weekend, No. 25 came of age. In Friday night's 78-68 upset victory over Brown, Ladley earned her first career double-double, scoring 12 points and dishing 10 assists, while playing the full 40 minutes. In Saturday night's 67-61 loss to Yale, Ladley again played the duration, scoring 13, grabbing 5 rebounds and distributing 4 assists. "We've come a long way and we're starting to put things together," Ladley said. "In high school I was basically a post. Now I'm playing [the guards and small forward]. It was a new adjustment." On the season, Ladley is averaging 7.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. · While Ladley has only recently stepped up her play, another Penn freshman -- 6'2" center Diana Caramanico -- has played like a veteran from the get-go. The biggest surprise in this week's Ivy Honor Roll had to be that Caramanico was not selected Ivy Rookie of the Week. The Blue Bell, Pa. native had earned that honor four times in eight weeks. She leads the Quakers with 17.8 points per game and is 19th in the country in rebounding, at 10.8 per contest. Last weekend it was more of the same for the frosh, who racked up 33 points and 17 boards in the two contests. "I don't know how to explain it," Caramanico said. "I came in just hoping for some playing time. Now that I've figured out my roll, I want to at least sustain what I've accomplished so far. Caramanico has capitalized on mismatches down low as opposing defenses try to keep Penn senior Michelle Maldonado outside the paint. While Maldonado's 11.1 points and 7.6 boards per game is a significant drop-off from her 15.0 and 10.4 in 1996-97, the combo's sum contribution in the paint outweighs the Maldonado-Deana Lewis tandem of last season, when Maldonado was often the beneficiary of teams doubling down on Lewis. · Want the secret to getting a big scoring output from Penn senior guard Colleen Kelly? Injure her. When Kelly is playing in pain, her scoring numbers actually increase. Last season, the Penn shooting guard went on a scoring spree midseason after turning her ankle. On Friday night at Brown, wearing a heavy knee brace, Kelly came off the bench to pour in 28 points in 24 minutes, including 5-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Soriero attributes this phenomena to opposing defenses focusing less on Kelly when she's in a physical state where they do not expect her to perform. "The fact that Colleen is even on the floor is a tribute to her desire to contribute," Soriero said. Kelly's knee is still far from 100 percent. The senior guard opted for physical therapy yesterday instead of a full practice. · While the freshmen are coming together with Maldonado, Kelly and junior Sue Van Stone to form a cohesive unit, rebounding is still a major stumbling block. Penn was out-rebounded 53-36 at Brown and 43-33 at Yale this weekend. While Caramanico and Maldonado are getting to the glass, the shorter Quakers are having all kinds of difficulties grabbing the longer rebounds. Fatigue and inexperience likely play a factor in Penn's struggles, since the Quakers' backcourt is not undersized, but strength and jumping ability also play a roll. "Especially our guards have to do a better job on the box out," Soriero said. "They have to chase down rebounds and be aggressive."
(12/02/97 10:00am)
Had Penn fifth-year senior Mitch Marrow declared himself eligible for last spring's NFL draft, the 6'5", 280-pound defensive tackle could have been making news for his on-field performance. Instead, Marrow returned to the Quakers for a fifth season -- one that has been plagued by injury, sickness, a third-place Ivy League finish and now an eligibility scandal. Marrow's 1997 season had a rocky start. Although he was selected as college football's 45th-best senior by ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. before the year, Marrow had to be helped from the field in the second quarter of Penn's season opener with a head injury. Initially diagnosed with a mild concussion, there were fears that he had instead contracted hepatitis. Marrow returned to his hometown of Harrison, N.Y., for further examinations and was diagnosed not with a traditional concussion, but with a viral "equilibrium imbalance," which was rediagnosed as a "mono-like virus" a week later. After sitting out nonconference games against Bucknell and Towson, Marrow returned in limited action against Columbia, manning the field for less than 20 plays in the Quakers' 24-7 road victory. Playing at significantly below his usual 280-pound weight, Marrow did not perform up to his previous all-Ivy standards. His performance bore slim resemblance to his 1996 season, when he terrorized Ivy League quarterbacks with 16.5 sacks in 10 games. By Penn's October 25 matchup with Brown, Marrow finally hit the 270-pound mark for the first time since he became ill. A week later at Yale, the defensive standout looked even stronger. Finally healthy again, Marrow exploded in Penn's 20-17 homecoming victory over Princeton with one of the most dominant performance of his collegiate career. With six tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble, one thing was clear -- Marrow was back. But after his Ivy League Player of the Week performance in week 8, the Penn defense collapsed at Harvard, losing to the eventual Ivy champion Crimson, 33-0. With all hopes of a Quakers championship season a wash, a bruised and battered Marrow was carted off the field in the first quarter of the season finale against Cornell. He would not return. However, Marrow's season is not yet over. He is scheduled to play in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., on January 17 and the Blue-Gray Classic in Montgomery, Ala., on Christmas Day. Although his season contains few on-field highlights, Marrow said before his final game that he did not regret coming back for another year of football. Ironically, Marrow's reflection on his season last week may have been foreshadowing the ensuing controversy that now clouds his season. "Maybe it builds character," Marrow said. By "it," Marrow was referring to his bouts with injury and illness. But, now, "it" could easily mean the investigations and inquiries into his off-field controversy.
(11/24/97 10:00am)
The Quakers overcame a huge size deficit with outside shooting to defeat Rice and its frontcourt. As Rice's 6'11", 230-pound center Alex Bougaieff towered above Penn's 6'8" freshman, Josh Sanger, at the Palestra's midcourt Saturday, Rice coach Willis Wilson couldn't help but look wide-eyed at four glaring size mismatches in the Owls' favor. But Sanger won the opening tip, knocking it back toward Penn point guard Michael Jordan -- an auspicious sign of things to come for the Quakers. For 40 minutes, the undersized Quakers (1-0) played bigger than life, out-hustling the Owls (0-3) for loose balls and out-totaling their Palestra guests on the scoreboard, 78-73. "It was a little tough for us to get up for this game," Rice guard Bobby Crawford said. "We had a rude awakening." Penn junior George Mboya emerged from the Quakers' bench as the antidote to 6'9'' Rice forward Jarvis Kelley Sanni, matching the forward's muscle on the low post. The Owls, however, never did quite find an answer to Jordan, who led the Quakers with 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists. "In the first half, [Jordan] did a real good job of breaking down the defense," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "Penetration-and-kick, penetration-and-kick opened up the offense. He's got a really good feel for the game and he's really unselfish." Rice had a chance to shut the door on Penn early, going ahead 22-14 in the game's seven opening minutes behind Sanni's lightning-fast 11 points. But with a Quakers 20-second timeout, a short jump shot by Frank Brown and a Mboya three-point play, all of sudden the Owls' lead was five. As the Rice defense collapsed on a Jordan driving , the sophomore point guard fed behind the arc to often open Jed Ryan and Garett Kreitz, who exchanged Rice two-pointers for Quakers' threes. As the Red and Blue charge mounted, Rice's defense returned to a strict man, and Jordan began taking offensive duties upon himself. A driving lay-up with 2:51 left in the first half not only went as Jordan's first field goal, but also knotted the score at 36. Another Jordan jumper put the Quakers ahead by two. But the shot that the Owls will remember was the point guard's third. Jordan captured an inbound pass with just 3.9 seconds to go in the half, drove the length of the floor and buried a buzzer-beating jumper from the foul line's left-hand corner. The shot put Penn ahead at break, 40-38, a lead the Quakers never surrendered. "I don't think I changed my philosophy," Jordan said. "They saw I wasn't trying to score so they laid off me. My teammates set nice screens for me and I was getting open." Eight seconds into the second half, the officials called Sanger for his third personal foul and Dunphy again ordered a Mboya. While it was offense that kept Penn alive in the first half, Mboya and Ryan's strong defense on Sanni and Bougaieff helped the Quakers pull away after intermission. Instead of trading baskets, the Quakers found themselves scoring the points on the early possessions of the frame. Sanni, who shot 5-of-8 from the field in the first half, was held in the second by Mboya and Ryan's defense to 3-for-9. Bougaieff disappeared altogether from the offensive flow, leaving Wilson hollering at his big man to just get open. Despite getting smoked 21-6 on the offensive boards, the Penn interior defense slowly pushed the Owls front court out toward the perimeter, where size was neutralized. Sanni slowly gave way to the outside shooting game as Rice senior guard Crawford bombed away, leading all scorers with 22 points, but also dismantled the Owls game plan in the process, shooting 1-for-8 from three-point land. "We got into a stretch when we got way too perimeter-oriented," Wilson said. "That wasn't our game plan. There was a time when everything went up from the outside and nothing from in the paint." The Quakers, conversely, had players who last season frequented the outside shot driving more to the hoop. Sophomore guard Matt Langel came off the bench to score 14 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field. The sophomore uncharacteristically took just two three-pointers, hitting both. Kreitz added 13 on 3-for-7 three-pointers but showed slashing ability as well. Even the still-injured Paul Romanczuk came off the bench for eight minutes and made a couple hard drives to the hoop. Shooting percentage loomed large in this contest, with the Quakers' hitting 51.9 percent from the field to the Owls' 37.7. In addition to Langel's 6-for-7 game, Jordan was 8-for-12 from the field and Ryan 6-for-12. Even freshman Sanger, who isn't known for his touch, hit on his only attempt. "We were all happy that he made that first jumper," Dunphy said. "Because we know well that's not a strength of his." Height, at least on paper, wasn't a Quakers strength either. But it wasn't too long after the opening tap that Penn showed its resiliency -- adapting to the size deficit and transforming their shortcoming into an advantageous drive-and-kick offense. The jury's still out on Penn for 1997-98, but if nothing else, the Quakers showed on Saturday that they can exceed expectations. A season-opening victory over Rice indicates that even without 6'11" center Geoff Owens, out with a hypertension-related problem, victories can still be won.