Ranked and spanked: No. 22 Cornell upset by Penn

Cornell Ryan Wittman — 16 points, FG: 6-14, 3-ptr: 4-11 Louis Dale — 16 points, FG: 6-15, 3-ptr: 2-8, FT: 2-2, 8 assists, 4 turnovers, 2 steals, 5 fouls Jeff Foote — 10 points, FG: 4-6, FT: 2-4, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks PENN Jack Eggleston — 24 points (career high), FG: 8-12, 3-ptr: 4-5, FT: 4-5, 5 rebounds, Zack Rosen — 22 points, FG: 6-12, 3-ptr: 3-5, FT: 7-9, 5 assists, 1 turnover, 3 steals Rob Belcore — 10 points, FG: 3-6, 3-ptr: 2-5, FT: 2-2, 4 steals Mike Howlett — 9 points, FG: 4-5, FT: 1-1, 9 rebounds (5 offensive) Click here for full box score

Junior Jack Eggleston set a dominating tone for Penn, leading the team with a career-high 24 points. His block on Cornell’s monstrous seven-foot center Jeff Foote in the first half brought the crowd to its feet, though he was called for a foul on the play

The magic returned to the Cathedral of College Basketball Friday night.

In a stunning turn of events, Penn downed No. 22 Cornell — heavily favored to win both the game and the Ivy League — 79-64 in its first win at home since Feb. 28, 2009.

The recipe for what has since been called the upset of the year in college hoops involved meticulous preparation on Penn’s part, with the key ingredient added just before the opening tip.

“All the guys in the locker room went out and expected to win the game,” sophomore point guard Zack Rosen said. “There was a quiet confidence about us.”

After pushing No. 1 Kansas to the brink — they lost by only five point — just last month, Cornell (21-4, 7-1 Ivy) was expected to trounce the Quakers, but it was clear from the get-go that Penn would hang with the Big Red.

“We did a really good job [Friday] of … making the first punch instead of taking it,” Rosen said.

Controlling the action at a deliberate pace, Rosen — who scored 22 points and dished out five assists — guided a Penn offense that executed brilliantly to the tune of 1.34 points per possession.

“It was a terrific game plan,” Cornell coach and former Penn assistant Steve Donahue said. “They played every second of every possession.”

Shooting at a 29 percent clip from behind the arc entering the game, the Quakers (4-16, 3-3) drained 11 of their 21 attempts from long range, including a 4-for-5 night from forward Jack Eggleston.

The teams alternated leads six times during the first half before Eggleston gave Penn a 32-31 advantage at the break with three of his career-high 24 points.

The Quakers came out of the locker room on fire, storming to a 15-point run. Penn sank 15 of its 23 second-half shots — going 6-for-8 from deep — and held the shell-shocked Big Red to 33 percent from the field after halftime.

“I thought we didn’t play poised,” Donahue said. “There were a couple times [where] I thought we were pressing [and] trying to force things when we got behind.”

The second-half push was fueled by center Mike Howlett, playing in his first action since Dec. 12 due to a foot injury.

The 6-foot-9 sophomore held his own against All-Ivy seven-footer Jeff Foote. Howlett sunk four of his five shots and pulled down nine rebounds.

“I honestly think if not for him tonight, maybe we [wouldn’t] have this feeling at the end of the game,” Penn coach Jerome Allen said.

But while the margin got as close as five with just under seven minutes to play, Penn held off every Cornell rally, digging deep to pull off a monumental upset.

“[Allen] told me after the under-four media [timeout], ‘it’s three minutes, suck it up,’” Rosen said.

As the Quakers completed the upset, the crowd of 4,332 soaked in every second of Penn’s first victory over a ranked opponent in 12 years. The “over-rated” chant echoed through the Palestra walls, and the student section rushed the court after the final buzzer sounded.

“This shows us that we can be competitive in the league,” Eggleston said. “We already believe that, but … [now we] have something we can point out for the rest of the year.”

And, on the night that shook up the Penn campus, the Ivy League and most of the college hoops nation, Rosen finally found out what a big win feels like.

“[Allen] always talks about ‘winning’s gonna hurt,’” said the sophomore, who was in so much pain at the postgame press conference that he had trouble sitting down. “And I’m telling you right now, it hurts.”

But it hurts so good.

Comments (13)

"The intensity rose dramatically moments later when a tussle broke out after Cornell center Jeff Foote got tied up with Penn’s Mike Howlett." Really? Looked a whole lot more like an angry Penn player outright bear-hugged and tackled the Cornell center. Nice factual reporting.

Nice to see that the DP has a remedial program to hire those who flunked freshman English as sports writers.

I may have seen worse writing at an Ivy League newspaper, but can't remember when.

"Cornell was expected to roll through the Quakers..."--guess Kotloff means roll over?

"Penn would not be denied of a monumental upset..."-- is that like "denied an upset"?

And "reigned in long jumpers' is certainly an interesting neologism-- would have thought he meant "reined" in, but that means to restrict, so why would they want to do such a thing?

Editor--help!!

"Packed" with what? Mice? Wrecking crews? The box score says 4332 spectators. In the old days we used to get 9200 out to the games. Maybe he meant "rained in long jumpers", inept for a reading population digging out of 70 inches of snow.

Could you three possibly be more lame? The boyz (I was going to say your team, but my hope is you're not Quakers) just pulled off the gutsy, beyond unlikely, upset of the season - and you're criticizing the reporter and his grammer. Get a f#*$%+g life!! And please don't correct my spelling. Nice job Jerome and team.

jonbsolar

who else would have posted such lame drivel,

Cornell blows

cornell blows

good basketball and bad writing are unrelated--esp. when the writing is by a putative writer

And remember "jonbsolar"--profanity is the attempt of a lazy and feeble mind to express itself forcibly.

Grow up.

This win probably set Penn basketball back for years as it may have bought Bilsky more time as AD, a big, big mistake. Bilsky didn't have the humility, foresight or fortitude to bring in a strong coach like Donahue, a Dunphy protege, after he screwed over Dunphy. Instead he brought in his incompetant lap dog, Miller. Donahue would be the perfect next coach for Penn but Bilsky will not admit his previous mistake and hire Donahue. Furthermore, after being spurned by Bilsky, I doubt Donahue would come to Penn as long as Bilsky is here. ERGO, we need to get rid of Bilsky and hire Donahue. Penn was at the top of the Ivies, before Dunphy finally told Bilsky to put his head where the sun doesn't shine. As a result of Bilsky's decisions we are now in the bottom dregs of the Ivies. When Donahue went to Cornell they were in the dregs of the Ivies. Now Cornell is at the top of the Ivies. NO MORE NEED BE SAID! THE ADMINSTRATION NEEDS TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR PENN BASKETBALL, I.E., GET RID OF BILSKY AND BEG DONAHUE TO RETURN!

Well, 70sgrad, your idea is spot on, but your spelling was not. It's a Pyrrhic Victory when the battle is won, but the war may be lost. I'm not an insider, as you appear to be, but I would hope that you'd give Mr. Allen a chance to prove his mettle. Donahue may have been a stronger choice to continue Penn's quality basketball program, but it's not Jerome Allen's fault Donahue was not promoted. And a sunny day is always appreciated more after a lot of rain.

Mr. APTS, the question isn't whether Mr. Allen may be able to do a good job rebuilding a program but whether Penn should wait and see or hire a coach who the administration is highly confident can rebuild the program and do so promptly. I very much like Jerome Allen as a player, a gentlemen and as a coach. His coaching experience is limited, however. Moreover, it is not like he had the luxury of being mentored by a great coach like Fran Dunphy. Hence, the dilemna, gamble on relative inexperience and perceived high potential or procure a highly effective coach with proven ability and success. I fear that Bilsky will favor the former in order to save face and preserve his job. The responsibility of the Administration, however, is to see through the egotism and self serving preference and do what is in the best interest of the University and the Penn basketball program.

Cornell13, that bear hug was intentionally meant to stop the shot. It was Foote who dragged Howlett down. Get your facts straight.

70sgrad, we might have gotten Donahue the first time around. There is no amount of begging and firing Bilsky that will bring him to Penn now. He's going to a bad BCS program. Also, Allen has plenty of experience. First of all, after 10+ years of professional playing, the guy knows X's and O's, and what works to motivate players. Secondly, he served as a player/coach for a few seasons. He'll be fine.

new wins. new begginings.

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