Quakers' valiant comeback falls short

In the span of just 180 seconds, a basketball slopfest turned into a Big 5 classic.

Penn erased an 11-point deficit to La Salle in the game’s final three minutes but ultimately could not erase its four-year Big 5 losing streak. The 89-83 loss extended the dry spell to 15 Wednesday night at Tom Gola Arena.

Despite turning momentum in their favor at the end of regulation, the Quakers (5-7) ran out of gas in overtime, allowing the Explorers (8-9) to pull ahead and come out on top.

So after 45 exhausting, exhilarating minutes, Zack Rosen and the rest of the roster remain winless against their city rivals and as frustrated as ever.

“I don’t think it’s a confidence booster,” said Rosen, who scored 19 points and added eight rebounds. “I think we should be disappointed in the way we played.”

The Penn point guard’s aggravation stemmed from the first 37 minutes of action, which featured sloppy play on both sides — described by Rosen as “lazy” and by Penn coach Jerome Allen as “horrible.”

Yet while much of the game was fast-paced, out-of-control and ugly, it remained winnable for the Quakers throughout. Following a night of missed opportunities — mainly blown layups and defensive stops — the opportunity to end the dreaded Big 5 losing streak somehow presented itself.

With 2:48 remaining, Penn forward Jack Eggleston drained a three-pointer to bring the score to 72-64. Rosen followed with a free throw and a layup. Then a three. And then another trifecta.

Suddenly, a lackluster second half evolved into a three-minute frenzy.

When La Salle’s Ruben Guillandeaux missed a jumper and Eggleston stepped to the charity stripe after being fouled on a three-point attempt with 24 seconds left, the comeback neared completion.

Eggleston’s cool hand sank all three free throws and improbably sent the contest into overtime.

“How do I live through another one?” La Salle coach John Giannini recalled thinking as he watched his wildly inconsistent team blow another lead and head to overtime for the third time this season.

The Explorers had dropped the previous two.

Last night, however, they regrouped in the extra session and took control from the start. Guillandeaux, who scored a game-high 24 points, led La Salle alongside star center Aaric Murray, who posted 19 points and eight rebounds in his return from a Saturday benching.

The Quakers’ minds were elsewhere during overtime, still fuming over their failures in regulation and wondering how they got there in the first place.

“We got lucky,” Allen said. “I didn’t feel like we deserved to win the game.”

For Penn, the result means the squad has just two more chances to bring its agonizing Big 5 drought to a close: next Wednesday at No. 23 Temple and Jan. 22 against St. Joseph’s.

On the other side, it was just another roller-coaster victory.

“We got it done,” Guillandeaux said.

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