W. Hoops: Seniors get their Palestra soiree

When the clock hits 0:00 on Saturday night, Joey Rhoads, Ashley Gray, Monica Naltner, and Lauren Pears will walk off the Palestra floor for good.

The four seniors will face a daunting challenge as they play first place Harvard (10-12, 8-1 Ivy) Friday night and second place Dartmouth (13-10, 7-2 Ivy) on Saturday. When the Quakers (9-13, 4-5) traveled to New England two weeks ago they were trounced, losing to Harvard 87-74 and to Dartmouth 70-43.

The seniors currently have a 23-23 record in the Palestra, so this weekend's results will determine whether or not they leave with a winning record in the gym. They will be honored Saturday as part of Senior Night before the game begins.

Penn coach Pat Knapp says the Quakers will need to execute well, but will need intensity. While they are not playing for a title, they are playing for pride and for the right to exit on a winning note.

Penn will need to increase its focus on defense. When it last played these two teams, the opposing starting guards scored 102 points in two games. Penn will need to put pressure on Ashley Taylor of Dartmouth, who scored 22, and Niki Finelli of Harvard, who chipped in 26.

In addition to their intensity, the Quakers need to improve in several facets of their last meetings. Their shooting woes were apparent against Dartmouth the first time around, as they made only 31.6 percent of field goals and five of 15 free throws.

Against Harvard, they must rebound better, as Harvard beat Penn on the boards 32-23. The Quakers must find ways to box out against 6-foot-1 senior Christiana Lackner and 6-foot-7 sophomore Emma Moretzsohn.

Both of the Ivy League leaders are prepared for a fierce match against the Quakers. Despite Penn's 4-5 conference record, both opposing squads expect tough and well-played games.

"Every single game is a big game, we believe this is an enormous game for us," Dartmouth coach Chris Wielgus said. "We expect a battle, year in and year out it's a real competitive battle."

Harvard, one game ahead of the Big Green, will need to keep up its winning pace to insure that its March 6th matchup against the Big Green is meaningless.

"We're staying on course," Harvard coach Kathy Delaney-Smith said. "Penn is a very dangerous team and Joey Rhoads is one of the best point guards in the league. We are still trying to concentrate on our game."

Both Delaney-Smith and Wielgus enjoy playing in the Palestra. Wielgus said, "I love the Palestra . it is always a thrill to play there."

Meanwhile, the four Penn seniors will have one more opportunity to show why they chose to play there in the first place.

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