Lakeside Letdown

CLEVELAND -- Jermaine Watson pointed to the Penn crowd after hitting a three-point basket in the first half. With a defiant smile, the Boston College guard put his index finger to his lips.

Silenced.

The Eagles ended Penn's surprising season-ending run with a convincing 85-65 win in the the first round of the NCAA Tournament yesterday.

Senior guard Tim Begley had 19 points in his final collegiate game, and sophomores Mark Zoller and Ibby Jaaber added 16 and 15 points, respectively.

But their efforts weren't nearly enough to beat Boston College, a team that came in with a chip on its shoulder after being selected as a No. 4 after seed in the Tournament after winning the Big East regular season crown.

The BC squad that the Quakers (20-9) faced was nearly unrecognizable as the group that lost four out of its final eight games coming into the Tournament.

The Eagles (25-4) came out mean and intimidating, and nothing the Quakers did could overcome Boston College's advantages in size and athleticism.

BC's two best players, forwards Craig Smith and Jared Dudley, came as advertised, dominating in the post. Dudley led the Eagles in scoring with 18 points, and Smith posted a solid all-around effort with 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists.

"They made a lot of shots in the first half that made it look like we needed to change our defensive scheme," Penn coach Fran Dunphy said. "You have to give them credit. ... Their reputation is such that they are not great shooters but they can be when the time comes. They obviously were that today."

The Quakers hung tough early, as Zoller scored seven of Penn's first 10 points. Freshman David Whitehurst's three-pointer tied the game at 13, but it was the last time the Red and Blue would deadlock the score.

The course of the game changed when Watson, the Eagles' prized sixth man, entered the game. Watson was injured jumping out a window after an alleged intrusion into his apartment, and there was doubt as to whether or not he would play.

Penn seemed unprepared for Watson when he hit two consecutive threes to spark a 22-2 first-half run that gave BC a 40-18 lead and a 48-28 cushion at the half.

The Quakers, much to their credit, regrouped at halftime and came back with a much better effort in the second half.

"You're down 20 at halftime, and that's pretty embarrassing," Begley said. "We said to each other that we deserve to be here and we're here for a reason. I don't think the way we played in the first half showed what kind of team we are."

In the final 20 minutes of his collegiate career, Begley showed what kind of a player he is by leading a spirited comeback. He hit three second-half trifectas, the second of which cut the Eagles' lead to 54-43 with just over 13 minutes remaining.

When Zoller hit a highlight reel reverse layup and was fouled, the Quakers were down just nine. But Zoller missed the free throw, and the rally died shortly thereafter.

In the end, it was too much Smith, too much Dudley and too much offense from the Eagles, a team that had been criticized going into the tournament for its poor shooting.

For the game, BC shot 57.7 percent from the field and 8-for-12 from beyond the arc. Contrast that with the Quakers, who managed just 35.2 percent from the floor.

After the game, Dunphy emerged disappointed with another loss in the NCAA Tournament's first round. But he also demonstrated considerable pride in what his team accomplished this season.

"I will remember this team fondly," Dunphy said. "To elaborate, I think they overachieved and got more out of themselves than others might have anticipated. They showed me something. They had great character and integrity."

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