AT COURTSIDE: McCauley does "little" things for Quakers

Amidst the roses and hugs being lavished upon the Penn women's basketball team's four seniors in pregame ceremonies Saturday, Palestra public address announcer John McAdam nearly forgot to introduce Erica McCauley. Not that anyone should blame him. Measuring barely 5-foot-3 from the soles of her shoes to the top of her fiery-red ponytail, Penn's starting point guard has a way of getting lost in the shuffle. Though often overshadowed on the court by the sheer size of her opponents, and off the court by the accolades of her elder teammates, McCauley has become the Quakers' most consistent player since returning from a broken hand over winter break. "She made a great comeback from the hand injury," Penn coach Julie Soriero said. "She's playing with a lot more confidence. She feels like she's our floor leader. She knows who to look for and she does a real nice job getting us on track." Since her size physically limits what she can do on both ends of the court, McCauley has developed into the consummate role player and three-point specialist at the collegiate level, after starring at Mount Hebron High in Maryland. And while seniors Shelly Bowers, Natasha Rezek and Katina Banks leave the biggest marks on the stat sheet, it is ironically the young sophomore who provides the often erratic Quakers with a stabilizing presence. "I've gotten a lot of support from all the seniors," McCauley said. "They know that even though they are the captains, as the point guard, I'm the floor leader." Saturday's 78-64 victory over Cornell was typical of a McCauley evening. In an ugly first half during which Bowers could not find the handle (six turnovers), and Banks could not find the basket (2 of 11 from the field), it was McCauley who rose to the occasion. The Ivy League's No. 4 three-point shooter knocked down a trio of treys to stake the Quakers to a 28-26 halftime lead. When Bowers, Banks, and Rezek came alive to spark an early second-half run, McCauley faded from the limelight. She contented herself with breaking the Big Red press and feeding the ball inside. "Shelly Bowers had a huge night [Friday], and Katina is known as a driving threat," said McCauley, who finished with 14 points. "So when people key on them, I'm left open. I'm trying not to force things as much and wait for the shots as they come." But McCauley's most significant contribution may have come on the defensive end against Cornell sharpshooter Mary LaMacchia. After LaMacchia burned the Quakers for 30 points up in Ithaca, N.Y., two weeks ago, Soriero decided to let McCauley shadow LaMacchia this time around and assign Bowers to Kacee English, the Big Red's 5-3 point guard. Soriero's reasoning was solid. Bowers' height would make it difficult for English to get the ball to LaMacchia, while trying to run McCauley off staggered screens would be like trying to spear a mosquito with a javelin. The strategy worked as McCauley's pestering presence frustrated LaMacchia into only two points on 1-of-9 shooting. "I just tried to stay close to LaMacchia," she said with a modest grin. As usual, McCauley's line of two rebounds, one assist, and two turnovers failed to tell the story. In fact, the most compelling sign of McCauley's impact came when she was sitting on the bench. During her three-minute breather in the first half, the Quakers squandered three of five possessions as Bowers and freshman Colleen Kelly took turns throwing the ball away against the Big Red press. Soriero didn't waste any time getting McCauley back in the game. "Last year I was timid about taking control on the floor," McCauley said. "Now I feel a lot more comfortable."

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