Red and Blue defeats Lions with 33 points from foul line

Like the stomach virus that plagued Penn guard Ibby Jaaber last week, the Columbia men's basketball team would not relent against the Red and Blue on Friday, hitting key shots and going on scoring runs to keep itself in the game for all 40 minutes.

But every time Columbia threatened to get back into the game, Jaaber and the Quakers responded with plays of their own to squeak out a victory against the Lions, 73-66.

While a virus forced Jaaber out of Thursday's practice, he was healthy enough to notch 15 points and four steals. His tenacious defense clearly rattled the Columbia guards, who turned the ball over on multiple backcourt violations caused by Jaaber's persistence.

"He made some big baskets and had a couple big steals for us," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "He played well tonight."

Though a couple of Jaaber's jaw-dropping plays had the Quakers faithful cheering his name, the outcome of the game was decided behind two lines--the Columbia three-point line and the Penn free-throw line.

The Lions were lights-out from long distance. They drained 12 trifectas in the game, including shooting 6-for-8 in the first half. Penn's continuing struggle to guard the perimeter is the only reason Columbia was able to stay in the game.

"We were trying to exploit them double-teaming me and make them pay for it," Columbia senior forward Matt Preston said. "We reversed the ball so guys can hit some open shots. ... We shoot the ball well to the point that we're tough to beat."

The Lions came within three with 20 seconds left in the game after draining treys on three consecutive drives. Senior guard Jeremiah Boswell made two of the three and finished the game with five triples.

But the real surprise of the game came from the charity stripe. The Quakers went to the line 47 times and finished with 33 of their 73 points coming off free throws.

Penn was led by sophomore forward Steve Danley, who seemed to be at the line more often than he was pounding in the low post. Danley shot a deadly 14-for-17 at the foul line, improving to almost 70 percent on the season. He finished the game with 18 points.

Penn teammate "Adam [Franklin] told me that the refs must have been my relatives today," Danley said. "I have been working on my foul shots every day after practice, so it's nice to see it work out."

Columbia, on the other hand, only went to the line eight times.

"Danley went to the line a lot and that was the difference," Columbia head coach Joe Jones said. "We just didn't have an answer for him and they were able to control the game by going inside to him."

Danley has come a long way since the end of last season. Not only is he a regular starter, but the Penn offense runs through him more and more now that he has proven he can make plays.

The Germantown, Md., native said that getting the ball more often during games makes him more comfortable scoring.

"A guard handles the ball and can keep a feel for it even when he's not taking shots, but as a big guy, you get a couple of touches and it gets you on a roll," he said. "It boosts your confidence to have a couple of good games."

Though the Lions were close the whole game, they never appeared in control. Penn held Columbia scoreless for 5:40 towards the end of the first half, and clamped down defensively for the bulk of the second half as well, allowing them to slowly establish a lead that they would no--t relinquish.

The fact that Columbia was able to stay in the game may be cause for alarm, but the Lions loss shows that they are a ways away from playing consistent basketball for 40 minutes every night.

"Their offensive efficiency was a little bit better than ours tonight, and that was the difference in the ball game," Jones said.

"It's tough when they score 33 points from the foul line, and when you play on their home court, you can't go for [scoreless] stretches and expect to win."

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