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(04/16/96 9:00am)
Simonian tosses four-Simonian tosses four-hitter to lead Penn toSimonian tosses four-hitter to lead Penn tovictory in first game After crushing Harvard, 8-1, in the opening game of yesterday's doubleheader, the Penn baseball team had won four straight Ivy League games -- going a long way to establishing itself as the premier team in the Ancient Eight. But in a reminder that Penn can be beaten in any given game, the Crimson roared back, defeating the Quakers, 5-3, in the nightcap. Penn (17-11, 9-3 Ivy League) cruised in the opener against Harvard. Quakers pitcher Armen Simonian -- who leads the conference in ERA -- pitched a masterpiece yesterday, sprinkling four hits over seven innings and allowing only one run. Simonian lowered his ERA from 2.48 to a sparkling 2.28 and received the complete-game win, his fourth victory of the season. The Penn hurler got plenty of help from timely hitting by the Quakers sluggers, who gave Penn a 4-0 lead by the second inning. Penn's offense was not necessarily powerful -- its only extra-base hits were two doubles, courtesy of sophomore second baseball Joe Carlon and senior center fielder Sean Turner. However, timely hitting and a poor Crimson defense allowed the Quakers to score eight runs on only eight hits. Harvard made four errors in the game, leading to five unearned runs for Penn. The offensive stars for the Quakers were second baseman Joe Carlon and catcher Rick Burt, two players that have been hitting consistently all season. Carlon went 2-for-4, knocking in two RBIs. And Burt, a Penn co-captain who called the game for Simonian, had a perfect night -- going 3-for-3, knocking in two runs. Burt raised his batting average to a cool .366, not bad for a player known more for his defensive prowess than for his offensive skills before the season began. On the Penn roster, only pitcher/first baseman Mike Shannon (.405) and Turner (.384) have higher batting averages among the regulars. In the nightcap, the Crimson enacted a measure of revenge by edging the Quakers 5-3. Harvard scored all of its runs early, tagging Penn pitcher A.B. Fischer for five earned runs in three-and-two-thirds innings. Junior pitcher Alex Hayden mopped up for Fischer, hurling a scoreless two and one-third innings, but the damage was already done. Penn scored two runs in the first inning and added another in the sixth, but Harvard pitcher Bart Brush contained the Quakers to only three runs on eight hits -- giving Brush the victory. Fischer took the loss for the Quakers. The loss was Fischer's third of the season to go with three wins. The doubleheader was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was postponed due to field conditions.
(04/08/96 9:00am)
Will investigateWill investigatewhether athletes getWill investigatewhether athletes getinflated packages The Ivy League will soon conduct an internal audit to determine if any of its members are violating the league's long-standing policy prohibiting athletic scholarships. The audit, which was initiated by the Council of Ivy Group Presidents, will investigate whether athletes receive more financial aid than non-athletes. It is Ivy League policy that financial aid should be need-based and athletes should not receive any additional financial benefits as an incentive to enroll in the school. This is the first audit the Ivy League has conducted since the league reached a settlement on a federal price-fixing suit in 1991. Jeffrey Orleans, executive director of the Council of Ivy Group Presidents, downplayed the significance of the audit. In a statement released on April 5, Orleans said the audit "is the regular administrative procedure provided for in the League's consent judgement for verifying that compliance." He added that the Ivy League Presidents "are quite confident" that the audit will not find any wrongdoing among the member schools. While Penn has been publicly accused of stretching the rules for the benefit of its athletic team members, University officials expressed confidence that the audit will find Penn in full compliance with Ivy League procedure. "The study will show that Penn awards its financial aid fairly, and that athletes at Penn do not have an unfair economic advantage over other students," University spokesperson Barbara Beck said yesterday. Stanley Jarocki, Penn's associate athletic director, said in The New York Times on Friday that the Athletic Department is involved with the financial aid process for its athletes. "What we try to do in terms of looking at that information is walk families through the process and give them a sense of the estimated financial aid -- and whether it is doable," Jarocki said. He added that if the family is not happy with the financial aid package, "we go back to the financial aid office and see if assessments can be made more accurate." The audit will investigate whether the process that Jarocki described -- commonly referred to as pre-reads -- leads to larger aid packages for athletes. Donald Routh, Yale University's director of financial aid, has noticed that athletes sometimes receive more aid than necessary. "The most common kind of case we deal with, where we feel the other school has been too generous with aid, involves athletes," Routh told the Times. "Obviously, all schools are in competition for good athletes, and all Ivy League schools would argue they offer only need-based aid. But I guess it's a question of how far you stretch it." Orleans responded in his statement that the quotes in the Times article were "simply speculation." "Ivy aid procedures are fully open to, and used by, all interested applicants, and Ivy financial aid offices make substantial efforts to respond to every family which applies for aid, from any circumstance," he said. Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky could not be reached for comment. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
(03/19/96 10:00am)
After overtime playoff win over the Quakers, Carril announces his retirement BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Quakers discovered against Princeton that the road to the NCAA tournament is not paved with bricks. Despite Penn guard Ira Bowman's clutch three-pointer with 16 seconds remaining which sent the game into overtime, the Quakers miserable shooting performance eventually sent them home as Penn fell to archrival Princeton, 63-56, on March 9. The playoff victory gave Princeton the Ivy League's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament and ended the Quakers' season. After the game, Princeton coach Pete Carril announced his retirement after 29 years of coaching the Tigers. "I knew for five months I was going to quit," said Carril, who added that long-time assistant Bill Carmody will take over as head coach. "But I didn't want it to become a traveling road show." Carril said that the victory over Penn -- which was necessary because both Penn and Princeton ended the regular season with identical 12-2 records -- was the highlight of his coaching career. Both of Princeton's losses came at the hands of the Quakers, the last one a 63-49 rout by the Quakers on March 5, which forced the one-game playoff. In fact, Penn had beaten the Tigers the last eight meetings. "I told [my players] to look in the mirror and see what they're made of, and I had to look into it myself," Carril said. Princeton jumped out to an early 9-1 lead in the game. But Penn remained in striking distance throughout the heated affair, despite hitting only 24.4 percent of its field goals, its second-worst performance of the season. In fact, the Quakers made only two field goals in the entire first half, which ended with Princeton ahead 26-17. "It was a matter of us being a little impatient early, just thinking we could do the things which were successful in the first two games and really forcing the issue and not getting good team shots," said Bowman, who finished with 21 points on 5-for-10 shooting. "Princeton did a good job of really coming out and getting up early," Bowman added. "We were fighting from behind the whole time." Although every Quaker other than Bowman had a poor shooting night, senior Donald Moxley -- who had been the star performer for Penn in the previous two games against Princeton -- had a day he is not likely to forget anytime soon. Moxley misfired on all 14 shots he took from the field, including his five three-point attempts. "I give their defense a lot of credit," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I think they're a very solid defensive team that contests every shot that you take. We had to be a little more poised and a little more disciplined about our attack. I think we almost got what we deserved in terms of shooting percentage." Quakers all-Ivy center Tim Krug (2-for-8, 6 points) and sophomore Garett Kreitz (1-for-5, 8 points) also had problems finding the touch. Freshman forward Paul Romanczuk was able to avoid any misfires, but that was only because he did not take a shot in his 28 minutes of play. Ironically, what saved the Quakers from being routed was foul shooting -- even though Penn was the second-worst team in the Ivy League from the line. Penn had 38 attempts from the charity stripe, and hit on 30 of them, accounting for more than half of its points. "We missed some shots that we normally can make," Dunphy said. "It seemed like we got to the foul line an extraordinary amount of times, which was presenting us with as many points as we were going to get for the night. I give their defense a lot of credit. I think they're a very solid defense that gets to every shot that you take." Penn's solid foul shooting, combined with the Tigers inability to put the game away, left the Quakers down only three points, 49-46, with 26 seconds remaining in regulation. Although Penn never held the lead in the entire two halves of play, Bowman swished a three-pointer from several feet behind the top of the key to tie the game at 49 with 15 seconds left, extending the game to another time period. In just under a minute of the five-minute overtime, Quakers reserve forward Cedric Laster gave Penn its first lead of the day with a layup. And when center Steve Goodrich was called for his fifth foul trying to defend the shot, Laster hit the free throw, giving the Quakers a 52-51 lead with 4:02 left in overtime. But that would be the high point of the game for Penn as things quickly went downhill -- due, in large part, to the leadership of Princeton captain Sydney Johnson. Princeton's silky-smooth guard broke a 54-54 deadlock wide-open with five points -- a three-pointer and two successful free throws -- on two consecutive possessions. Johnson proceeded to steal the ball from Bowman, the Penn guard's sixth turnover of the game, to seal the win for the Tigers. "You've got to give them credit as a championship-caliber team," Bowman said. "The better team tonight won."
(03/07/96 10:00am)
Penn point guard Jamie Lyren, who has been sidelined since breaking a bone in his left foot against Penn State at the Atlantic City Shootout on December 9, has indicated that he will apply for a fifth year of eligibility. "It's something 100 percent that I want to do," Lyren said. "I want to get as many opportunities to play as I can get." Lyren still has to petition the Ivy League to be classified as a medical redshirt at the end of next season, but he puts the odds at "over 90 percent" that he will be granted the extra season. Lyren, who originally thought he would be out only two months, underwent season-ending surgery in early February when it was discovered that his foot was not healing as expected. Right now, Lyren says that he is at 85 to 95 percent, but will wait until he is at full strength before he competes. In the four games he played before the injury, Lyren averaged 7.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in his first year as a starter. · Penn and Princeton may have identical 12-2 records, but the Quakers have beaten the Tigers twice this season in head-to-head competition. That has created some debate about whether Saturday's tie-breaker game at Lehigh's Stabler Arena should be necessary to determine who will receive the NCAA bid. "I don't think it's right that we have to play Princeton three times," said Lyren. "But those are the rules." Penn coach Fran Dunphy was also resigned to his fate. "It doesn't matter what I think," Dunphy said. "If you finish in a tie, you play a tie-breaker." · With Princeton center Steve Goodrich, who scored 26 points -- or over 53 percent of the team's offense -- in Tuesday's game against Penn, the Tigers did not have their typical balanced scoring. However, Dunphy said there will be only subtle defensive changes on the way to slow down Goodrich this Saturday. "You pick your poison with Princeton," Dunphy said. "You either defend the three-point shooters, or you play Goodrich one-and-one." Even though Goodrich did his damage, Penn was able to stop the Tigers' shooting behind the three-point arc. Princeton only hit two treys in 14 attempts -- a 14.3 percentage. Before Tuesday's game, Princeton led the league in three-points shots made and was third in three-point field-goal percentage (362). · In the second half of the Princeton game, Penn guard Garett Kreitz was smacked in the face by Tiger guard Mitch Henderson. The officials, however, did not call a foul -- a decision that left a significant portion of the crowd jeering. "That [non-call] upset me," Kreitz said. "The official was right there. But they're human, and they're not going to see everything." · Ira Bowman, a leading candidate for Ivy League Player of the Year honors, needs just two steals on Saturday to move into fifth on the Quakers' all-time list. His average of over two steals a game by far the best in Quakers history. What makes his steals total all the more impressive is that Bowman has done it in just two yearas a Quaker. Bowman transferred to Penn from Providence after his sophomore year. Furthermore, this is Bowman's first season as a starter. But with all his accolades, Bowman admitted he felt the butterflies before the Princeton game. "I was a little bit more nervous than usual, being my last game at the Palestra," Bowman said. "It's a credit to all the guys and the coaching staff we never thought about losing. We were always preparing for this game and preparing for Saturday. We came out and played like we had a purpose." · After Penn's victory over Princeton, a few hundred of the Penn partisans stormed the court in celebration. In contrast, however, the members of Penn basketball team exited in a business-like manner. "We knew when the game was over," Penn guard Donald Moxley said. "We didn't run around on the court. There was no need to. We still have a job to do Saturday, and that's to play this team again. It's going to be the third time, and it's not going to be any easier."
(03/05/96 10:00am)
The Scene: Muffy, a typical Princeton junior, calls her father to ask for a favor. Muffy: Daddy, the Tigers can win the Ivy title this year, and all they have to do is beat Penn. So I want you to make that happen. Daddy: Dear, how can I do that? It's not like getting you into Princeton -- I can't just arrange that. Muffy: Can't you just write a check like you did the last time? Daddy: Muffy, it's not that simple. You see? Muffy: What? You don't love me enough. You're just like Buffy [Muffy's mother]. I will never talk to you again! Daddy: Now calm down, Muff. Maybe the Tigers will beat Penn. Tell me about the team? Muffy: Why? You go to almost all the games. Daddy: Yes, but Carril's offensive puts me to sleep. I try, but I just can't stay up. Muffy: Use a double dose of No-Doz like everyone else. Daddy: That's a good idea, Muff, but getting back to the team... Muffy: Oh yes, we're doing really well Daddy. Really we are. We've won our last 12 Ivy League games. Oh Daddy, you would be so proud of me. Daddy: Of you? How are responsible for the team's success. Muffy: Um?I'm their No. 1 fan. Daddy: Oh? Anyway, Muffy, why are you afraid of playing Penn? Didn't they lose all five of their starters last year to graduation, and didn't we return all of our starters from last season? Muffy: Yes that's true Daddy. It's all true. But that didn't help us the first time we played Penn this season. Oh Daddy, it was just awful. Daddy: What happened dear? Muffy: We lost. There I said it. We lost to those damn Quakers for the seventh straight time. Oh Daddy, we just can't beat them! Daddy: The Quakers must have played way over their heads to beat the Tigers? Muffy: No, Daddy that is not what happened. The Quakers had a positively awful game -- missing 18 foul shots -- and they still beat us. Daddy: But what about that freshman Princeton has -- Brian Earl. Isn't he a good player? Muffy: No, you must be thinking of his brother, Dan Earl of Penn State. Brian Earl positively sucks. Against Penn, he took only four shots the entire game. It looked like he was afraid to shoot. I hope he doesn't choke again like he did the last time. Daddy: But what about Sydney Johnson, Mitch Henderson, Steve Goodrich and Chris Doyal? That's a fine quartet Princeton has there. Muffy: Daddy, you have to remember to renew your eyeglass subscription. These players are missing an ingredient that helps in basketball -- talent. And it's not only that Daddy, but Princeton has a tendency to choke when the pressure is on. Did you see the score of Saturday's Princeton-Columbia game? The worst team in the Ivy League almost beat us. (Muffy starts making a choking noise.) Daddy: Well, who do the Quakers have that is so good? Muffy: Where should I begin? Penn point guard Ira Bowman is probably the best player in the league. Tim Krug and Donald Moxley, who lit us up for 19 points last time, are among the best, too. Oh Daddy, these players on Penn can do something that none of the Princeton Pussycats can? Daddy: What is that dear? Muffy: Play basketball. Daddy: Well my dear Muffy, it seems like Penn is going to beat Princeton on Tuesday, probably by a score of 62-51. Muffy: Isn't there anything that you can do? Daddy: I'm sorry Muffy. Penn is going to win, and there is nothing that Daddy can do. Michael Hasday is a junior political science major from Scarsdale, N.Y., and is the associate sports editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian.
(02/28/96 10:00am)
It seems as if Carill's boys at Princeton are on a nice little run -- winners of their last 11 Ivy League games and all. But never fear, we here at Ivy Roundup have discovered the Tigers' achilles' heel that will lead to their eventual doom. After combing over the game tapes, player rosters, University phone cards, etc., etc., the crack staff at Roundup has discovered that Princeton sucks. While we're on that subject (you know, basketball), we couldn't resist calling the Brown Daily Herald, and ask them about those golden Bears. If We Had Michael Jordan We Would Kick Some Behind of the Week We here at Roundup have a theory about why the Brown Bears are 9-15 this year -- they suck. But in the spirit (if not the reality) of journalistic integrity, Roundup contacted (using Kerry Kittles phone card) the Brown Daily Herald to find out what they think are the causes the Bears' woes. "The problem is that nobody really emerged that is able to take over the game," said Bill Fiedman, the Brown Daily News basketball writer. "Look at the Chicago Bulls, the reason they're 49-6 is that they have those players. Brown does not." You don't say? He continued: "If we did [have Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen] we'd be on the top of the league." You think? Roundup feels that Dennis Rodman (who would fit right in with the Brown squad) would also be an improvement over James "J.J. Dyn-O-Mite" Joseph and could be quite a boost in the Ivy League. Well, at least Bill has given the Bears' coach some insight on what type of players that they should draft. Maybe if Brown had Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman they would have scored more than 36 points against Princeton. Nah, they probably would also need Toni Kukoc. Anyway, a reliable source tells Roundup that Brown is blaming its 36-point "effort" on the fact that the Tigers would not let the Bears take any warm-up shots. We here at Roundup have another theory to explain the Bears' offensive woes -- they suck. Phobia of the Week Roundup called the offices of The Daily Princetonian (again, courtesy of Villanova sports information) hoping to get some insight on the titanic struggle that is going to occur next Tuesday. Now, one would think that the Tigers would be in the catbird seat since they are up one game in the standings, meaning -- if things hold this way -- Penn will have to beat the striped pussy cats twice in a row next week. (Aside: Roundup has learned that the tiebreaker game will be played at Eisenlohr; so just scale the fence and Judy will take your ticket.) However, Dimitri, the sports editor of The Daily Princetonian, informed us that Princeton is actually scared of Penn. "Princeton always seem to have a phobia playing Penn," the budding scribe said. We here at Roundup have another theory about why the Tigers always lose to the mighty Quakers, and you could probably guess what it is. However, Princeton certainly has its share of phobias -- like shooting the ball before everyone in the stands falls asleep. A Decent Player on Cornell Who is Under 30 Now when you think Cornell basketball, the first thing that comes to your mind is 'Why I am wasting my time thinking about Cornell basketball' or as President Judith Rodin would say, "Get a life." However, the second thing that comes to your mind is Cornell's best player, Eddie Samuel, a Pensacola junior college transfer who is more than half way to qualifying for AARP membership. However, it seems that the Big Red have another diamond in the Ithaca rough in St. Joseph's transfer Alex Compton -- who lit Yale up for 38 points, the third highest total in Cornell hoops history. Not only that, but Compton outscored the entire Yale team until 2:21 in the first half. And wait, there's more -- Compton set a league record for three-pointers with nine. But most surprising: Compton is only 21 years old! Roundup encourages Cornell's recent trend of finding transfers who were not born during the Johnson administration. And they say that the Big Red are desperate. Palestra Renovaters of the Week Yes, Dartmouth has the qualifications. Brick-laying ability -- check. A seven-foot stiff who can paint those hard-to-reach places,and has no future career possibilities -- check. An all-Hanover hero who is good for staff morale -- check. So when you see Seamus Lonergan applying the cement on your way to DRL, don't forget to say, "Hi."
(02/27/96 10:00am)
The Penn women's basketball team may have won its first basketball game of the season on Saturday with a 62-58 victory over Dartmouth, but that is not likely to dampen speculation on coach Julie Soriero's future with the team. But Soriero, who has a career record of 64-115 in her seven years at Penn, says she does not view the rest of the season as a fight for her job. "I don't think that is what will motivate me to see my team do well," Soriero said. "There's enough pressure on coaching anyway without me putting the imposed pressure of 'If we don't go in and beat Columbia, what's going to happen to my future.' " Senior captain Natasha Rezek, the heart and soul of the team, declined comment when asked if Soriero should be brought back, but added: "I haven't connected this season -- or the lack thereof -- to bad coaching." Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky is in Florida this week and could not be reached for comment. · Last Saturday's win was quite emotional for the team. When the final buzzer sounded, the team rushed on to the court "like we've won the Final Four," according to sophomore point guard Colleen Kelly. Afterwards, most of the team cried in joy. "A lot of times this year, I saw tears based on losing -- or that someone did not make a shot at the buzzer or poor shooting or whatever," Soriero said. "It was nice to walk in the locker room and see people crying because they felt so good." Rezek, however, was a bit more reserved after the victory. "It was a huge win," the senior captain said. "It was great, but it was something that came a little late." · Despite opening the season with 22 straight losses, the team was not in jeopardy of breaking any NCAA records for futility. Charleston Southern set the NCAA mark for the most losses in a season at 28, which Penn could not break because their are only 26 games on the Quakers schedule. The NCAA record for consecutive losses is 58, set by Brooklyn College, which accomplished the feat from February 1987 to February 1989. The Quakers, who lost its season finale last year, ended their losing streak at 23. However, this year's edition of the Penn women's basketball team is likely to record the least number of wins in Quakers women hoops history. That mark is currently four wins, and will be broken unless Penn sweeps its remaining three games. · Erica McCauley, the Quakers lauded point guard who mysteriously left the team in the middle of the season, was quoted in The Philadelphia Daily News this past Wednesday as saying that she will "shed some light on things after the season ends." When contacted last night, she said: "At this time, while the season is still going on, I have no comment out of respect for my teammates." But McCauley still left open the possibility of commenting on the team after the season ends. "It's a possibility," she said. "I'm not sure what I'm going to do right now." · Almost lost in the hoopla of the losing streak has been the outstanding season of Rezek. She leads the Ivy League in both scoring average (17.8 ppg) and rebounding (11.1 rpg). Rezek said she does not regret staying a fifth year at Penn despite the team's woes. She also admitted she has thought about what she is going to tell her kids about this year. "I would just tell them that this happens," Rezek said. "Negative things happen, and you just have to handle it. You just have to stick it out and you can never quit -- ever."
(02/19/96 10:00am)
and Jaclyn LaPlaca With a flip of his wrist, the reigning world chess champion threw his bishop on A8, capturing rook A8 and more importantly, garnering a victory for the human race. Garry Kasparov's face relaxed as he reclined in his chair with full knowledge that the battle was his to complete. A smirk appeared on the face of the 32-year-old champion, as he removed his watch, his signature move to indicate that his opponent -- in this case IBM's computing creation, Deep Blue -- is in trouble. The final chapter of the six-game match between man and machine came to a close Saturday during a night that Kasparov described as one of the most important of his life. With the eyes of the world watching, the Pennsylvania Convention Center hosted the match which ended as Kasparov prevailed 4-2 over the tremendous data-processing ability of the computer. Asked afterwards whether he had felt that he saved the human race, Kasparov smiled. "I feel like I did a good job, for chess first, and probably for all mankind," he said. After losing the first game to Deep Blue last Saturday -- sending the chess world into a tizzy -- Kasparov rebounded in the second game, coasting to victory in just under three hours. The third and fourth games ended in a draw, setting the stage for the winner -- and the $400,000 that went with the victory -- to be determined in the final two contests. Controversy surrounded the fifth game as early in the match, Kasparov offered a draw which the computer accepted. But the computer operators overturned the decision of Deep Blue and ordered the computer to continue play. That was a fateful decision for Deep Blue as Kasparov went on to capture victory in that game. "The computer would have been better off without human interference," Philadelphia Area Chess Master Dan Heisman said. "They should have just left it alone." So entering the sixth and final game Saturday, Kasparov only needed a tie or draw to achieve victory. But the reigning chess champion did not play like a man going for a tie. Instead, from the moment the sixth game started, Kasparov went for the kill. In fact, Kasparov made his opening moves so quickly that Maurice Ashley, one of the commentators who gave move-by-move analysis to the packed Convention Center, exclaimed that the competitors were "moving at a wicked pace!" "An average move usually takes three minutes to complete, but Kasparov is only using three seconds," Ashley explained. "He is trying to play speed chess to intimidate the computer, but it is not going to work." But Kasparov, who has been described as "cocky" with great frequency, apparently had a master plan. In a very short time span, Kasparov had clear control of the match, putting Deep Blue on the defensive. The match closed when Deep Blue, sensing imminent doom, resigned on just its 43rd move. Kasparov ended his day by fielding questions by audience members, who paid $20 each to watch the final game on a big-screen televisions. One audience member asked Kasparov who he would choose to play next. "Because I'm the world champion, I don't usually get to choose my opponents," Kasparov responded. "But if I had a choice I would certainly choose Deep Blue II -- the revised version."
(02/13/96 10:00am)
The 90-50 loss was the worst in LaSalle team historyThe 90-50 loss was the worst in LaSalle team historywhile its 16-point first half tied the school futility record The only real battle between Villanova and LaSalle was between their respective mascots, who engaged in a fist fight in the final minutes of the contest. The members of La Salle men's basketball team, however, were not nearly as competitive as they were routed, 90-50, by the Wildcats -- who came into the game ranked No. 4 nationally -- at the Spectrum yesterday. The 40-point blowout was the largest margin of defeat in La Salle history. "I just told [the players] that it was very embarrassing for everyone connected with La Salle basketball," said La Salle coach Speedy Morris, whose team has lost 18 of 23 games this year. Morris added that coming into the game, the team "actually thought [they] could win the game, believe it or not." Well, there were not too many believers for too long. After the first two minutes and 13 seconds went by with no points on the board for either team, the Wildcats made up for lost time and jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Explorers forward Brian Flickinger flicked a three-pointer from the left corner to cut the deficit to 5-3, and that was closest LaSalle would get for the day. Three three-pointers within a five-minutes span by Villanova forward Eric Eberz helped expand the Wildcats lead to 20-9 with 10:19 remaining in the first half. From there, it was the Kerry Kittles show -- and La Salle was too much in awe to do anything but get out of the way. Kittles, who is widely considered one of the best players in the nation, knocked down five of the six three-pointers he attempted -- most of the trifectas from NBA three-point range -- and ended with 25 points. Between the three-pointers , Kittles sprinkled in a few signature high-flying dunks that were well-received by the nearly 10,000 fans gathered. And Kittles was mostly playing against himself. Not only was the zone defense that La Salle offered feeble, but the Explorers' offense was mostly non-existent for much of the game. In fact, the 16 points that LaSalle totaled in the first half tied for La Salle's lowest first-half total in school history. "Villanova outplayed us in every phase of the game," Morris said. "We were intimidated and that's not the way we've played most of the year. I have to apologize to any La Salle fan who came to this game." After the apologies, it would be good for the Explorers to work on their shooting as they were dismal for the game from the field (25.4 percent), from the charity stripe (50 percent), and from behind the three-point arc (27.2 percent). La Salle forward Romaine Haywood chucked up 24 shots, but only five of them found their way to the bottom of the net. But he would get a good argument in the a who-had-a-the-worst-shooting-day contest from Explorers guard Shawn Smith, who misfired on all seven shots attempted. Villanova's tenacious defense surely contributed to LaSalle's offensive woes. The Wildcats, who improved their record to a nifty 21-3 registered nine blocks to the Explorers one. But more importantly, Villanova outscored La Salle 17-2 off turnovers. And life does not get any easier for the Explorers as they face undefeated UMass on Thursday. The Minuteman are ranked No. 1 in the nation. "I don't think they're staying up worrying about us," Morris said. "In fact, they might pay for the bus."
(02/07/96 10:00am)
Election fever is hitting Ivy Roundup as we prepare to take that big trip up to Hanover, N.H., to whip Seamus Lonergan's buttocks this weekend. But something else is happening in New Hampshire, though it is of far lesser national importance. Yes, it's primary time in the Granite State, as some old guy is facing some rich guy to see who could challenge some bleached-blonde woman in the fall. But frankly, this election bores Roundup, so we've decided to hold one of our own. So without further ado, here is... The Election of the Week This election is to decide what best describes the man/child/plant that is pictured above right. The choices are: a) Columbia forward Justin Namolik b) Kramer's younger brother c) Sideshow Bob d) a Chia Pet Please fax your ballot to the DP (898-2050). The results will be posted next week. But whatever we decide to call him/it, Roundup definitely feels that Chia Pet (oops, we indicated our favorite) would add something to the Republican field. (We here at Roundup feel that this will change the political debate from the flat tax to the more important issue of flat hair. But then we don't want Jimmy Johnson to join the race.) However, if Chia Pet does not accept the challenge, we have another candidate in mind? The Candidate of the Week Let's begin with the big question entering the Penn-Columbia basketball this past weekend. No, it wasn't who would win. The Lions would lose to a team composed of SCUE all-stars (maybe Soriero should schedule them), and they were easily handled by Ira Bowman, Tim "DP letter writer" Krug and the rest of the boyz at the Palestra, 74-50. The real question, however, was: Where was Ira Bowman's younger brother Claude Crudup? As last reported by Roundup, Columbia guard Claude CrudupEleft the Lions last year six games into the season due to "philosophical differences" with the coach. However, according to a source on the Columbia Spectator, it did not help that Crudop allegedly got into, shall we say, a heated discussion that took on a physical dimension with a fellow Lion. Well, Columbia hired Princeton assistant coach Armond Hill to head the Lions this season, so you figure 'new Coach, new attitude, new chance for Crudup.' Well, it didn't exactly work out that way. According to another Spectator speculator, Crudup again had "philosophical differences" with the new coach which led to a "mutual decision" that Crudup would not be on the team -- and to think, Crudup is listed as a sociology major, not philosophy. Anyway, you have to admire anybody who is smart enough not to play with those lowly Lions, and he definitely has terrific genes, so Roundup declares him as The Candidate of the Week. Moreover, we definitely foresee Crudup continuing his philosophy debate with Coach Hill on a larger stage -- perhaps at the presidential debate in 2020. (We also predict that Penn will be named as an alternate to host that debate). Coach Hill also shows signs of being a future leader himself and, in fact, is? The Politician of the Week This is what Hill said to the refs during the Penn-Columbia game: "There's no hand-checking ref?(and then under his breath) mother @#%$!%s." And at the post-game press conference: "Sure there are home calls and road calls. I know they're trying to be consistent. Maybe it's because I'm down by 15 that I see the calls like that?I'd still bring [the mother #%%$^*5s] home for dinner." And not only does Hill artfully answer questions, but he also has that cheery optimism, perhaps bordering on delusion, that every politician needs. To wit, he ended his press conference by saying, "One of these days, you're going to say to me 'Hey coach, that was a great win.' " Wanna bet? However, even though Crudop, Hill and Chia Pet may be the front runners in election 2020, every election needs a dark horse, and we've got one. Introducing? The Dark Horse of the Week Roundup's dark-horse candidate is Rob Hodgson, who made an appearance on ESPN SportsCenter this past week getting the ball stripped by UConn superstar Ray Allen which led to a Huskies score. Rumor has it that this upset The Long Island Legend so much that he has decided to transfer back to his high school team. Actually, that decision isn't set yet, and he's still pondering it over, but?ahh, the perfect candidate -- he has enough gridlock within himself to put Washington to shame. By the way, don't feel obliged to vote. If this is actually the field in 24 years, Roundup plans to move to Europe and find the answer to a question that has kept us sleepless many a night: How does Eric Moore score 35-points a game?
(02/05/96 10:00am)
When senior Nat Graham unexpectedly quit the basketball team, freshman Paul Romanczuk was given a golden opportunity. He would not only get a lot more minutes, but Penn coach Fran Dunphy would also tap him as the starting power forward for the Quakers. But even though Romanczuk received the starting spot by chance, his play of late indicates that he may have deserved it all along. Against Hofstra last Wednesday, Romanczuk scored a career-high 18 points, knocking down six of his nine shots. And to prove that the Hofstra performance was no fluke, Romanczuk scored 13 points against Cornell Friday, making all four shots he attempted. He also recorded a team-high nine rebounds. "This whole year I've been trying to seize the opportunities I've gotten," Romanczuk said. "These two guys sitting next to me [Penn seniors Ira Bowman and Tim Krug] have made the job a lot easier. Ira said there's no such thing as a freshman on this team. It's not hard at all with the great group of guys we've got here. It's really a team that's together. I had that my last couple of years in high school, and we were successful as a team." Romanczuk, a West Chester native, was a captain at Archbishop Carroll and was a major reason that his high school team won the Philadelphia Catholic League Championship his senior year with a record of 24-4. He averaged 14 points and eight boards a game and was selected as first-team all-Catholic by the Philadelphia Daily News. Romanczuk also won the Labor Classic Slam Dunk Contest in his pre-Penn days. He showed off his stuff this weekend against Cornell with a slam dunk in the final minutes. "I think that was my second dunk [at Penn]," Romanczuk said. "Tim made a great pass there. I thought we were holding the ball to finish out the game. I was in the right place at the right time." The next day against Columbia, Romanczuk gave another solid effort. He scored seven points, even though he took only three shots, and was second on the team in rebounds with six. Romanczuk scrappy inside play results in numerous trips to the charity stripe. In the last three games, he has attempted 20 free throws. And although he struggled at the beginning of the season from the foul line -- like many of his teammates -- he has improved on that facet of the game. Since January 13, he has shot at a 75-percent clip. Ironically, not much was expected from Romanczuk at the beginning of the season. Among the incoming recruits, Frankie Brown and Jed Ryan received much more hype. Brown was vaunted as one of the top-100 high school recruits by Blue Chip Illustrated, and Ryan was first team all-state in Pennsylvania. But while Brown and Ryan have yet to adjust to the college game, Romanczuk has already found his role on the team. "Paul is a good basketball player," Dunphy said. "He's done good work for us in terms of his work ethic. He's got a live body, and he knows how to play. He's got a good feel for the game. I'm not surprised at all. Hopefully that will remain the same way throughout the rest of the year because we need him. He has stepped up to the challenge."
(01/23/96 10:00am)
Quakers never trailed Lafayette in blowout Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon received a rude homecoming at the Palestra yesterday, as the Leopards fell to Penn, 74-57, in a game that was over shortly after it began. O'Hanlon -- a Penn assistant coach for six years under Fran Dunphy before he was made Lafayette head coach this past season -- has had a trying season in his head coaching debut, with his team dropping 13 of its first 15 games. And the season became even more frustrating last night when his Leopards (2-14), playing every bit like its record would indicate, were blown out early by the Quakers. "It's just a matter of time before his team is going to win a lot of games," Dunphy said about his former assistant and long-time friend. "I think he's one of the finer coaches I've been around. It's never easy in this situation to play against someone this close. You try to block it out." Initiating the rout was Penn forward Tim Krug who scored the first six points of the game. But what solidified the blow out for the Quakers (5-6) was the continued strong play of Quakers guard Donald Moxley, whose double-double -- 19 points and 10 rebounds -- was more than the Leopards could handle. The Leopards never held the lead at any time, and were down 41-18 at halftime. Dunphy admitted he knew most of Lafayette's offensive sets because they were the same sets that Penn uses, but denied that the information led to the Quakers' first-half defensive prowess. Instead, Penn's head coach credited the team defense of his Quakers. "Fran [O'Hanlon] installed most of the stuff we ran when he was here for that six years," Dunphy said. "We were very familiar with it. There was only a few things that we changed for the games in our sets. So he knew most of the stuff we would run as well. We did a pretty good job in team defense in the first, but I don't think that was a result of knowing what they would run." Most impressive for the Quakers' defense was limiting Lafayette star Craig Kowadla (17.5 points per game) to five first-half shots. Penn guard Ira Bowman, freshman Garett Kreitz and Moxley, were largely responsible for corraling Kowadla. Bowman also ignited the offense a number of times with seven steals. For the game, Penn scored 33 points off Lafayette turnovers, while the Leopards only earned nine points in that category. "I think our defense was very good in the beginning of the game," Dunphy said. "We took some chances that were calculated, and we came up with some steals, and we got some easy baskets off them. I thought that's how we scored most of our points." The most controversial play of the game came off one of Lafayette's 22 turnovers. Bowman -- after stealing the ball from Lafayette -- was going up for a slam dunk when he was knocked to the ground by Leopard forward L.J. Bennett. The referees, to the delight of the fans, called an intentional foul on Bennett. Bowman, though, did not make much of the play after the game. "It's something that looked a whole lot worse than it actually was," the Penn star said. "You do not want to give up an easy bucket. I don't think there was any intention of fouling me hard. He just went after the ball the best that he could." With Penn opening a big lead -- it reached 32 points at one time -- the Quakers were able to trickle in the subs. Freshman forwards Paul Romanczuk and Jed Ryan each enjoyed 17 minutes of playing time. Romanczuk played well, scoring 10 points in his short stint. However, Ryan struggled, misfiring on all four shots he attempted. "I think [the freshmen] are coming along," Dunphy said. "There are still some mistakes being made, but we're going to have to live with them because they are going to be the future of our program." · Dunphy also admitted last night that injured Penn guard Jamie Lyren might be lost for the season. "It looks like he might have to go with surgery," Dunphy said. "The decision will be made in a couple of days. Of course if that happens, he would be gone for the rest of the year."
(01/17/96 10:00am)
Kelly's career night not enough to earn Quakers' first victory The Penn women's basketball team -- sparked by the hot touch of sophomore guard Colleen Kelly -- came back from a 13-point halftime deficit and even took a two-point lead with 2 minutes, 33 seconds remaining last night against Delaware. However, the Quakers eventually succumbed, 65-60, leaving Penn (0-12) still seeking its first win of the season. "It was the closest game we had all year, definitely exciting," said Kelly, whose impressive stats -- 19 points, six steals, six assists, and five rebounds -- understated her value to the Quakers in this game. The sophomore point guard scored 17 of those 19 points in the second half, which should comfort coach Julie Soriero, who moved Kelly to the point with Erica McCauley's departure from the team. With Penn down 39-34 early in the second half, Kelly -- on consecutive plays -- twice intercepted Blue Hens' passes and then drove the length of the court for breakaway lay-ups. That put Penn within one point of Delaware with 10:30 left, and suddenly it was a game again. "We psyched ourselves up at halftime," Kelly said. "We said that we can beat this team, and there was no reason that we should be losing. We came into this game definitely looking for our first win." Kelly continued to give the Quakers a chance at that elusive first win. After Blue Hen Shanda Piggott hit three of four down the charity stripe after being fouled by Penn forward Renata Zappala on consecutive possessions, Kelly countered with a three. Then another one. The Quakers suddenly had their first lead in the game at 44-42. Kelly conceded that she usually attempts a lot of three-pointers, but "they don't usually go in that much." And Penn's guard had not finished her long-distance show. She hit two more clutch three-pointers-- the last one knotting the score at 57 with 2:53 left. But the Blue Hens -- led by their star guard Keisha McFadgion -- outscored Penn 8-3 in the final three minutes. Despite the heroic efforts of Kelly, Penn had lost its twelfth lost in its first 12 games. Kelly appeared visibly tired at the end. "It was frustrating because we had it and we lost it," Kelly said. "But I'd rather it be like this when everybody gave 110 percent." For Colleen Kelly, make that 120 percent.
(01/16/96 10:00am)
Four-year deal allows home team to chose venueFour-year deal allows home team to chose venuebut provides for only a half-round robin format In a move that will gratify some Philadelphia basketball fans, but will surely upset traditionalists, the presidents of Penn, Temple, St. Joseph's, La Salle and Villanova have agreed to extend Big 5 competition through the year 2000. But the contract extension mandates only a half-round-robin format. This means that each of the Big 5 schools will only be obligated to play two other cross-city rivals each year. A full round-robin format, which the agreement locks for the women's competition, would have each school playing all four of their Big 5 opponents. However, it is widely assumed Penn, Temple, St. Joe's and La Salle will all play each other regardless of whether the game is an official Big 5 game or just a regular contest. Villanova will only schedule the minimum two Big 5 games. Dan Baker, the Executive Secretary of the Big 5, who led the negotiations, said he had "mixed emotions" on the agreement, adding he had hoped for a return to a full-round-robin tournament. On the positive side, Baker said the agreement "will extend this tradition for another four years, and that was no sure thing when this contract started." According to Baker, Penn, St. Joe's and La Salle favored a full round-robin format, while Villanova was opposed and Temple was mixed. Baker asserted that the half-round-robin format was a necessary "compromise position." "There were many who felt that Villanova might not play any games, that the Big 5 has out-played its usefulness, and that Villanova's best interests might be best served by playing no Big 5 city games," Baker said. According to Baker, Villanova's situation is different than the other four schools in that all their home games are guaranteed sell-outs regardless of the competition. Therefore, Villanova does not need to risk losses against their tough city rivals. Baker added that the agreement "preserves the chance" that the full round-robin format could be reinstated at some future date. He conceded, however, that he does not know the chances of that happening. Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky downplayed the situation and noted that Villanova, since they play in the Big East -- one of the best conferences in the country -- had their hands full in league competition. Instead, Bilsky highlighted a different aspect of the agreement -- the new freedoms given to the home team. According to Bilsky, the new agreement allows the home team to choose the location of the game and keep all the profits. The result of this change, Bilsky says, will be "to get more [Big 5] games at the Palestra." That would be something of a homecoming for the Big 5. The Palestra was the exclusive home of the Big 5 from 1955 to 1986 when it was the mecca of Philadelphia basketball during the glory years of the fifties, sixties, and seventies. The Big 5 as an entity has been in existence for 41 years. The agreement was signed on Dec. 20 by all five Big 5 presidents after negotiations were held primarily with the athletic directors of the schools. This was the final year of the 10-year contract.
(12/11/95 10:00am)
Nittany Lions outbomb M. Hoops in A.C., 88-61 There was no confusing Penn and Penn State on Saturday, as the Nittany Lions -- propelled by the unconscious shooting of guard Pete Lisicky -- routed the Quakers, 88-61, in the Atlantic City Shootout. The story of the game was the outside shooting of Lisicky, who drained nine of 10 three-pointers en route to a career-high 35 points. Lisicky had 24 of his points in the first half alone, leading Penn State (5-0) to a commanding 46-27 halftime lead. "Obviously, we didn't do a very good job defending Lisicky, especially in the first half," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "I have to give him a great deal of credit. He got some great looks and converted. He only missed two shots all day." Lisicky's hot touch proved especially fatal for Penn (1-3) because the Quakers were plagued by shooting problems of their own in the first half -- misfiring on all all six three-point attempts and hitting only three of nine from the charity stripe. Penn's sole offensive weapons, Bowman (19 points, 7 assists, 7 rebounds) and Krug (21 points), got into first-half foul trouble. Bowman and Krug were called for their second personal foul within a minute of each other, and Dunphy benched them together. With the top two scorers on the bench, an 11-point deficit for the Quakers quickly ballooned to a 17-point hole. Even though Dunphy quickly shuffled Krug and Bowman back in, the damage was already done. The only other player who made a significant contribution was guard Jamie Lyren, who recorded 10 points and, more importantly, committed no turnovers running the offense. Dunphy struggled to get find any help off the bench. Guard Donald Moxley, one of Penn's few outside threats, struggled at only one-of-eight from the floor. Freshman swingman Frankie Brown, in his second career start, failed to register a point. Senior center Bill Guthrie, moving into the starting lineup in favor of Nat Graham, misfired on three early three-point attempts and finished with only two points. "We're getting real solid play by Jamie Lyren," Dunphy said. "We need some other guys to step up. Don [Moxley] shot the ball poorly tonight, as he has of late. We also need people like Bill Guthrie and Cedric Laster to step up. It's difficult to find our way against good teams." And things did not get any better at the end of the first half as Dan Earl, the Nittany Lions' star point guard, outhustled the Quakers for a long offensive rebound and drained a trifecta from the top of the key as the buzzer sounded. Dunphy called that sequence "just a ridiculous play by us." "Against a good team, which this is, you can't make a lot of mistakes," he continued. However, down 19 as the second half opened, the Quakers threatened to pull off a remarkable comeback before falling apart again. Penn jumped out of the gates after intermission, taking advantage of a flat Penn State squad. A Jamie Lyren free throw cut the lead to nine with 11 minutes, 12 seconds to go. But the Nittany Lions regrouped and, largely on the efforts of 6-11 James Booth, pulled away at the end. A wiry freshman, Booth scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, including a slam dunk that left the backboard shaking. "Calvin Booth put on a few extra pounds over the summer," Penn State coach Jerry Dunn said. "There's a great deal of potential ahead for him." The Quakers hope, that despite this game and their shaky start, the same holds true for them. * Adding injury to insult, Bowman appeared to injure his knee late in in the second half and went to the bench with 3 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the game. Dunphy speculated that it might be a sprain, but said he would not be sure for a few days. Since Penn's next game is not until December 29, it is unlikely Bowman miss any games.
(11/20/95 10:00am)
The Philadelphia Marathon ended at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art yesterday. This was especially fitting since the steps, which became famous in the movie Rocky, have come to symbolize the heart and grit of the blue-collar city. A similar emotion carried the runners, estimated at 3,500, through the 26.2-mile course which started at the museum and continued through City Hall, Independence Mall, South Street, the University, Boat House Row and back again to the museum's famous steps. Engineering senior John Blouin, who is a member of Penn's cross country team, participated in the marathon -- his first ever. Blouin said his goal was to finish with a time of less than three hours, 10 minutes, which would have qualified the Massachusetts native for the Boston Marathon. Blouin accomplished his goal easily -- his time was 2:48 -- but he conceded that the end was tough, both physically and mentally. After 23 miles, he dropped from a 6.3 to a seven-minute-per-mile pace. "At no time did I think I wouldn't finish," Blouin said. "But it was a struggle to lift my legs the last couple of miles. It was a battle to finish." Blouin said the cheering crowd along the last quarter mile lifted him at the end of the race. This spirit seemed to carry many runners down the final stretch as the pain of the effort turned into a feeling of euphoria. "The last quarter mile, I was able to forget about everything else and bring it in sort of hard," Blouin said. "Basically it was a relief and almost surprise that the end of this long ordeal was at hand." Rob Ryan, a resident of New York City, finished fifth overall in the men's race with a time of 2:29, and likewise ran in order to qualify for the Boston Marathon. Ryan conceded that the talent in this race was nothing like he saw in Kenya during his time in the Peace Corps in 1991. Kenya is famous for producing world-class marathon runners. "Those guys were fast," Ryan said. "I went training in the morning and high school kids would run past me like I was standing still." Although the top runners in the race were not as fast as those in the New York or Boston marathons, fast times were recorded yesterday, assisted by a flat course and cool weather. The winner for the men was Mark Andrew of Chapel Hill, N.C., who ran the course in 2:20:15. For the women, Jeanne Peterson took the prize with a time of 2:39:44. Peterson, who is from Massapequa, N.Y., beat her closest competitor -- her twin sister, Karen -- by nearly six minutes. But not everyone had such a positive experience in the race. Matthew Sullivan, making the trip from his home in Delaware, said this marathon would be his last. "I'm saying that because I'm hurting now," Sullivan said. "Of course, I say that after each marathon. I'll see if I hold to it. It's nice to finish, but I'm not going to be walking the same for the next week."
(11/20/95 10:00am)
Seniors Miles Macik and Felix Rouse had no control Saturday whether a win over Cornell would mean a quarter of the Ivy championship. But Penn's starting wide receivers could help control how the senior class, the most successful in decades, would close out its wildly-successful run. Macik and Rouse, each with more than 100 receiving yards for the day, ensured the Class of '96 would end like it started -- with a bang. Penn rocked Cornell, 37-18, to end the Big Red's title dreams. The win also gave Macik and Rouse a memory to savor. "You always remember the last one regardless of whether your 7-3 or 3-7," said the all-American Macik, who ended his marvelous career at Penn with an Ivy League record of 200 career catches. "This was a big one and it was good to out like this." Macik, who came into the game 201 yards short of the Penn record for receiving yardage, caught his 26th career touchdown pass early in the second quarter to put the Quakers up 21-0. The play developed after Cornell fumbled the kickoff, leaving the ball to Penn at its own 31-yard line. The coaching staff wanted to make the Big Red pay for its mistake -- quickly. Said Macik: "After we got the turnover, [Offensive Coordinator] Chuck Priore looked at me and said 'Let's go, right now,' so I kind of knew the ball was coming there." The gifted wide receiver heeded Priore's command and burned Big Red corner Doug Knopp down the sideline for the 31-yard touchdown reception. The reception, Macik's third for the day, gave him 85 receiving yards with nearly three quarters to go. Suddenly, Penn's all-time career receiving yardage mark seemed vulnerable. However, the mark of 2,419 yards by Don Clune ('71-73) held despite a game effort by Macik, who ended the day and a storied career with 7 catches for 148 yards. But Macik still has Penn's career touchdown and reception mark, so do not feel too bad for him. If you want to feel bad for someone look to coach Al Bagnoli, who is losing his most gifted player to graduation. When asked, Bagnoli conceded he might be losing a once-in-a-coaching-experience player. "I think so," Bagnoli said. "When they said he had 200 catches -- Holy Christ -- 200 catches in three years is ridiculous." Macik's partner-in-crime Rouse also ended his career on a high note -- even though at one point it looked like Rouse (5 catches, 104 yards) would end his Penn career with one of those painful experiences that stay with you forever. With the game very much alive and the first half winding down, a wide-open Rouse dropped a sure touchdown pass. The completion would have put Penn up 27-10 and end Cornell's momentum heading into halftime. "I heard this big 'oh' from the crowd," said Rouse, who has really come into his own this season for Penn. "That was the worst feeling in my life." But Bagnoli, as he is wont to do, called Rouse's number just two plays later. The call paid dividends for the Quakers, as Rouse caught the ball at the 20, faked out the coverage and raced into the end zone. "That definitely had to be the best feeling," Rouse said. "I felt I redeemed myself because everyone was probably cursing my name in the stands. It was great." Besides Macik and Rouse, Bagnoli also plans to savor the moment, although that feeling may dissipate when he realizes he has to replace his receiving duo.
(11/16/95 10:00am)
"I've been asked that question a lot," said Cornell running back Chad Levitt about why the Pennsylvania native did not choose to attend Penn. Levitt's father and three uncles went to the Red and Blue and his cousin, Ross, is a current student and a UTV13 football commentator. But the Penn calling did not hit home enough for Chad Levitt. And although Penn running backs Aman Abye, Jasen Scott, and Dion Camp have performed admirably in Quakers coach Al Bagnoli's three-back attack, Levitt -- arguably the best running back in the Ivy League -- would have done wonders for Penn's offense. But joining Bagnoli's bunch was never in serious consideration. "I wasn't really interested in Penn," said Levitt, who visited several Ivy schools, but not Penn. "I live real close to Penn and I wanted to get away from home. Also, because of West Philadelphia." It was not long after choosing the Big Red -- he cited academics, the people, and location as the reasons -- that Levitt, now a junior, started paying big dividends for Cornell coach Jim Hofher's program. As a freshman, Levitt, taking full advantage of the brand new freshman eligibility rules in the Ivy League, rushed for 475 yards on 88 carries (5.4 yards per carry) and scored six touchdowns. "When he came into his first training camp, he had the physical maturity that allowed him to play in games," said Hofher. "He also had the mental and social maturity." Although Hofher describes Levitt as reserved and introspective, Levitt's actions on the field have rung loudly throughout the league. In only his second year at Cornell last season, Levitt established himself as one of the Ancient Eight's premier backs. That year Levitt led the Ivies in rushing yards (131.9 per game) and scoring (7.8 points). Hofher says that Levitt -- who at 6-foot-2 and 227 pounds has NFL size -- really does not have a weakness on the field, whether it's running on the inside or outside, catching the ball or blocking. But individual accomplishments -- Levitt was named first-team All-Ivy last season -- did not make the Big Red star forget about his team's collapse last season. After winning its first six games and even garnering a first-place vote in the Division I-AA rankings, Cornell dropped its last four games, all to Ivy League opponents. Levitt says those "heartbreaking losses" are what sticks in his mind from that season. The most heartbreaking of those losses was a defeat to Penn in the season finale. Cornell built up a 14-0 lead on the strength of two Levitt touchdowns, the first one a 67-yard run. However, Cornell subsequently collapsed and fell to the Quakers 18-14, enabling Penn to set a division I-AA record with 21 consecutive victories. It was the second time in as many seasons that the Big Red blew a sizeable lead to the Quakers in the season finale. "It was a big letdown," said Levitt about last year's season finale. "It was almost the type of game like in my freshman season. Things kind of fell apart. It sucked ending the season seeing the seniors lose." This year, Levitt and the Big Red seem to be on a mission to erase those bitter memories. Levitt is averaging 146.1 yards a game, which is 43 yards more than his closest competitor, Crimson running back Eion Hu. Cornell has its best Ivy season in years, recording a 5-1 mark, and is guaranteed at least a share of the Ivy title if it beats Penn Saturday. Said Levitt: "This game is probably the biggest I've ever played in."
(11/08/95 10:00am)
We here at Roundup feel sort of like French-speaking people in Quebec -- comme la merde. You know, we really didn't mind our Quakers losing to SUNY-Harlem (think we do that joke enough?) or the scholarship boys of William and Mary. But to lose to Princeton, of all things -- gee whiz guys, we think you're paying too much attention to your studies. We here at Roundup suggest Cliff Notes and cheating on tests. Well, to make us feel better, let's focus our attention on better days in Penn football. Oh, way back when, the Quakers stuffed Princeton star running back (fertilizer for brains), Keith Elias en route to a crushing victory over the pussy cats en route to an undefeated season en route to immortality. That leads nicely into our first section, the... Keith Elias' Foot in the Mouth of the Week Mr. Elias, currently removing splinters from his New York Giants ass, complained to The New York Times (which can no longer say it's the 'Paper of Record'; now it is the 'Paper of an Idiot') that the Ivy League should be allowed in the playoffs. Said the mohawked one: "There will always be a bias against football. Football is a blue-collar sport. It doesn't fit the Ivy mold. It's not an Ivy sport; it's not rowing." Keen observation, Keith. Elias continued: "I'd sit in the president's office until he allowed us to play." Ah, the consummate student-athlete. Yo Keith, perhaps you are having the... LSD Flashback of the Week Roundup's favorite SportsCenter anchor, Keith Olbermann, was quite the perceptive sage in pontificating about 49ers coach George Seifert's state of mind during San Francisco's downing at the hands of the expansion Panthers. On SportsCenter (editorial note: CNN's faux-de facto-pseudo-quantitative-quasi-SportsCenter does not even come close to the real thing), Olbermann opined that Seifert was in the midst of a "Cornell flashback," during the defending Super Bowl champs embarrassing loss to expansion the Carolina Panthers. Yes, kids, Elvis has left the building and Seifert's quarterback Grbac has left the hospital. Sorry, we digress. Now, these were strong words by the Sporty one -- after all, Olbermann, himself, was a Big Red chewin' gum alum. So he knows how bad these flashbacks can be. Despair, depression, and the urge to jump into a gorge are all symptoms. However, in all fairness, Olbermann might have been referring to the fact Seifert went 3-15 as coach at Cornell in his younger days. Roundup suspects having Jerry Rice and Steve Young was key in improving Seifert's winning percentage. But even the Big Red never lost to an Ivy League expansion team (unless Brown counts). But enough about Cornell (which currently has a better record than the Quakers), let's focus on a team that really sucks. Just How Much Does Harvard Suck of the Week Now let's see. Harvard is 0-5 in the Ancient Eight, which is quite an impressive accomplishment for those arrogant twits. The I-Can't-believe-I-Got-Into-Harvard-With-My-SATs boys lost to a Brown team that usually does not play defense, 47-8 -- there really are no requirements, there. However, we here at Roundup, the bastion of journalistic (dis)integrity, did not want to rush to the painfully obviously conclusion that Harvard sucks. Instead, we'll present both sides of the story -- from the vantage point of the nearly empty offices of the Brown student newspaper to the vacant desktops of the Harvard rag. So the following is... The Brown Side of the Week For the Brown point of view (as seen through the choking marijuana smoke), Roundup contacted the Sports Editor of the Brown Daily Herald. He told us that the Crimson's star running back, Eion "can I buy any more vowels" Hu only had one yard for either the first half or the whole game (Roundup has to improve its handwriting when taking notes). Thus, the absence of any Huroics (ow, that hurt), contributed to the rout. Anyway, the editor's conclusion about Harvard: "dismal, really awful. They're not going to win a game." To paraphrase: Harvard sucks. So now, here is... The Harvard Side of the Week We contacted a sports editor at the Harvard Crimson. Here is what he had to say: "On Saturday, it was just ridiculous. No emotion. Just terrible?The punter is a candidate for Team M.V.P?Usually we're confident we can beat Yale [a team that sucks]. I'm not confident we could beat anyone?such a disgusting beating?you don't quote me on this stuff, right." To paraphrase: Harvard sucks. The Conclusion of the Week Harvard really, really, really, really [repeat: 1,510 (760 Math, 750 verbal) times] sucks -- but they have a good chance at beating us next week. Just joking, Bags. All we ever do is joke. And we always take some sort of crap for it too. Them's the breaks.
(11/06/95 10:00am)
After watching Penn celebrate two years ago, the Tigers got their chance Brock Harvey, Princeton's mobile quarterback, was able to erase some painful memories with the Tigers' 22-9 victory over Penn Saturday. Penn had won the last two of these clashes and had gone on to capture the last two Ivy titles. And the Quakers fans, known to be the most raucous in the Ivy League, let the Tigers know it in grand style. "There was a lot of revenge in this game," said Harvey, who admitted that this was his biggest game in his life. "Two years ago, the [Penn] fans ripped down the goal post and we had to watch it. And last year, the fans tried to do it on our field. I can't explain it to anybody who hadn't been there." It got to the point where the police had to threaten to arrest any students trying to tear down the goal posts Saturday. But Princeton, outplaying the Quakers in every facet, made that policy moot in improving its Ivy record to a perfect 5-0. The game was preceded by a level of nastiness and lunacy unprecedented in the Ivy League. Princeton coach Steve Tosches had griped about the Quakers' recruiting practices in a Sports Illustrated article. The sports editor of The Daily Princetonian called the Quakers "rule-bending wretches" in a recent column. At halftime, the Penn band assaulted a stuffed animal of a Tiger repeatedly until the stuffing exploded on the field. At game's end, the wind had scattered the insides all over the field. Tosches held his fire after the game, perhaps realizing his team's success this year undermined what he had been saying. In fact, he acted as if it was just another game. "Nah," Tosches said with a chuckle regarding any extra gratification in beating Penn. "This is just game number eight, and it keeps our season going. That's all. They all feel the same." Princeton captain Dave Patterson did not support his coach's assertion. He complained about being five-point underdogs. "We weren't getting the respect we deserved," he said. Patterson played like he was on a mission. Patterson, a senior linebacker who came into the game neck-and-neck with Penn all-American Miles Macik for Ivy League player of the year honors, bolstered his chances with 10 tackles, eight of them unassisted. Macik, who was double- and even triple-teamed all day, caught only three passes for 35 yards. After the Quakers recovered a Princeton fumble with 8:40 left in the contest, Patterson and defensive end Darrell Oliveira were key in stopping Penn's last-ditch effort to make a game of it. Penn had the ball at Princeton's 18-yard line, but two unassisted tackles by Patterson and a crushing nine-yard sack by Olivera ended any touchdown dreams of the Quakers. "We knew it was our chance to put the game away when they were down in the red zone," Patterson said. "We stepped it up and put them away." Also put away were some painful memories.
