Amy Potter: The missing ingredient

It was all there Saturday night.

The Big 5 title, a plethora of fans at a surprisingly full Palestra, rollout signs, and an electrifying atmosphere.

There was only one thing missing -- the Penn men's basketball team that the fans have come to trust and to celebrate in the past two weeks.

I understand not showing emotion, and I understand the need to keep your composure -- those are the cardinal rules of successful athletes.

But I had a very unique view for the Quakers second contest of the weekend -- press row, which, in the Palestra, is conveniently located directly behind the visiting team's bench.

Sitting only four feet away from Columbia's head coach, Armond Hill, was an experience in of itself.

He jumped, he screamed -- almost every three seconds -- and he was utterly annoying. However, Hill was animated and so was his bench, which is more than the Quakers could say all game.

The Red and Blue sauntered onto the Palestra's court with the stubborn arrogance that rivaled that of an average Princeton undergraduate.

Every time the Columbia bench roared in excitement, I looked down to Penn's players on the sidelines.

Nothing.

Ugonna Onyekwe dunks off of an alley-oop.

A few claps.

Tim Begley hits a three pointer, draws the foul and drains the free throw.

The bench stands up -- a few more claps.

Sure, the Red and Blue are Big 5 champions, and that title is a very big deal -- in the city of Brotherly Love, that is.

A win over St. Joe's is worthless to Penn, especially with the unwanted blemish of a loss to Columbia right there drawing all of the attention.

The thing is, Fran Dunphy and his squad know that an Ivy League title is of upmost importance, and they know that every Ancient Eight opponent is just as threatening as the next.

The talent is there, no doubt. Columbia didn't beat Penn because their guards were quicker or their shooters more talented. No one that claims to be sane would argue that Onyekwe and Andrew Toole aren't two of the best players in the Ivy League this year.

The difference in play was absolutely mental.

Columbia wanted a win against Penn in the Palestra with every ounce of their powder-blue bodies.

The Lions weren't thinking about an Ivy league title or the Big Dance or next week's equally formidable opponents.

When Columbia forward Joe Case sunk two free throws with only 3.1 seconds to go, he did it with composure. The Lions had fought much harder and longer and in the end, they won solely because they deserved to do it.

As cocky and inappropriate as the Columbia fans were who rushed the Palestra court that really proved something. For the Quakers, it would have been just another win, but for the Lions it meant everything.

Hill sat in the press conference solemnly, with red eyes and a quiet smile.

"This is the biggest win since I've been at Columbia... I've been crying in the locker room," Hill said.

Despite my dedicated support for the Red and Blue, in that moment I had to smile for the Lions. To have so much emotion invested into one game was phenomenal, noble, dedicated.

I'm waiting for tears from the Quakers. For now, I'll settle for a smile, or a look of disgust or outrage.

When the Red and Blue want it, the wins en route to an Ivy League title are there for their taking.

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