Greenberg's technical swings momentum in loss

Technical fouls have a curious way of taking the wind out of a team's sails. As Kelly Greenberg's languishing Penn side fought off streaking St. Joseph's University last night on Hawk Hill, this lesson was learned the hard way. "I was just asking them a question," said Greenberg, whose first technical of the season came with 8:24 remaining in the second half. "He didn't like that. It was unfortunate for our team. It shouldn't have happened, and it was my fault." After St. Joe's center Irina Krasnoshiok scored on a nifty pass from Erin Brady to open up a tenuous 48-46 lead, Penn called a timeout. Greenberg, whose team had surrendered an eight-point lead during a six-minute stretch, walked several feet onto the court to direct her "question" to officials John Morningstar and James Discher. Right as play resumed, the Penn coach was whistled up. Krasnoshiok drained the free throws, and the momentum had decidedly shifted. Five different St. Joe's players scored during the ensuing 16-4 run that effectively sealed the victory for the Hawks. However, even more disturbing than the game-breaking run itself were the mental lapses that contributed to it. With a five-point margin and the Quakers in desperate need of a defensive stop, the swift Brady drove from a step past half court -- practically unmolested -- to extend the Hawks' lead. On the subsequent possession, following a Katie Kilker turnover, point guard Amra Mehmedic missed badly from downtown. It was exactly the shot the Quakers wanted, but the failure to box out a lonesome Stephanie Graff resulted in the junior depositing another easy two. Another Penn misfire. Maureen McBryan's three-point play. A 12-point advantage. Game over. Simple, fundamental errors to be sure, and possibly excusable against a lesser opponent. However, against a team as confident and resourceful as these Hawks, mistakes must be kept to a minimum for the Quakers to have stay close and prevail. Tuesday's game was the 28th meeting between the two schools, in a rivalry that dates back to 1974. And for the 28th time in a row, the Crimson and Gray came out on top. A monkey can grow pretty large over the course of 29 years, and the one on Penn's collective back is no exception. Quite simply, coach Cathy Griffin's bunch demonstrated that they have as good a shot as anybody to win the Atlantic-10, which would be their first title since 1999. The Hawks overcame a number of early miscues -- as well as some largely uninspired play on their part -- to take yet another contest from their city series adversaries. To its credit, Penn fought hard to secure an early advantage which grew to eight during the second half. The team capitalized on multiple St. Joe's mistakes and compensated for its own with gritty defensive play. Jewel Clark did an admirable job of containing the explosive Krasnoshiok, who was coming off a 32-point outburst against URI, on the perimeter and occasionally in the post. But, as has so often been the case against the Hawks, the Quakers' shaky endgame was dooming. "The first half doesn't mean anything," Greenberg said. "You've got to win the second half." Following the technical foul -- and Jewel Clark's fourth foul as well -- the Quakers could not stop the second half tide.St. Joes went on to outscore Penn 42-30 in the second half, easily erasing the Quakers' two-point halftime margin. As Greenburg admitted, it was a costly question she posed to the official.

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