GAME ANALYSIS: Jordan-less Quakers felt Lehigh's pressure

It was no surprise to Penn, but the Engineers nearly rode relentless defensive pressure to an upset victory. BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- The Penn men's basketball team already had a chance to experience a game without floor general Michael Jordan, but in last night's 75-73 win over Lehigh, the Engineers exploited that issue with 40 minutes worth of full-court presses and extended half-court defenses. Penn wasn't surprised by the constant pressure, nor was it a new phenomenon; Dayton and Evansville both were effective in pressing the Quakers at the San Juan Shootout last weekend. In Tuesday's practice, the Quakers ran their press break to death, but that didn't help in the first half. "We went over our press break [Tuesday]," Penn guard Matt Langel said. "Their presses are similar to our presses, so what we see every day in practice on our press break is pretty much what we ran against." The results from Lehigh's pressure were immediate. In the first 20 minutes of play, Penn turned the ball over 12 times (11 forced) and had the rock stolen eight times. "We pressured their guards well," Lehigh guard Steve Aylsworth said. "They couldn't find any openings because we closed down the middle." Once in their offensive set, the Quakers faced Lehigh's tough extended defense, which at one point in the second half kept Penn pinned to the mid-court line for 25 seconds until a Lehigh mistake resulted in a George Mboya layup. In Puerto Rico, the lack of Jordan made Penn look indecisive in its half-court offensive set. Penn again had more than its share of problems, but it looked more solid, even though panicking was an issue in key situations. The Quakers' .294 three-point shooting percentage was indicative of their impatience and desire for an "easy" three-pointer. Although Lehigh stepped up its foul shooting to make the game closer in the second half, Penn settled down to use more of the shot clock. The result was 31 Quakers shots in the second half, compared to 35 in the first. In the opening half, however, Penn had 12 more possessions stolen or given away. Fatigue played a part for Penn without Jordan in the lineup, as four Quakers saw over 30 minutes of game time, with Mboya amassing 27. But according to Lehigh coach Sal Mentesana, tired legs affected both teams equally, even though his charges weren't on the court for such long durations as the Quakers. "[Dunphy] changed the alignment once or twice," Mentesana said. "The press builds fatigue in other teams; it also builds in you. And when you're not deep and you're young, sometimes we get a little confused in it as well." Penn adjusted to the press in the second half by giving guards Garett Kreitz and Matt Langel the ball with some extra room in the low corner with which to work. Between the adjustment and Lehigh's fatigue, Penn easily broke 15 full-court presses in the second half alone. "We were trying to throw over the top and I think we did a better job in the second half," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "We talked about not catching it too deep in the corner and I think Lehigh did a good job of forcing that." Penn did not look smooth at any point with Jordan in street clothes on the sideline, even though Penn's offensive production in terms of putting points on the board was seven points higher than its season average. But Penn scored 100 points against the Engineers last year, and with Jordan's leadership to break the press and extended defenses, it might not have been as close.

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