By ANDREW SCURRIA It is almost too easy to say that as Tyler Bernardini goes, so go the Quakers. When a team's best scorer struggles, as Bernardini did in many of Penn's losses before last night, it is natural to think that if he just finds his stroke again the victories will magically appear.
Bernardini did get the monkey off his back by scoring a team-high 23 points on an efficient 9-for-17 from the floor against La Salle. Yet the fact that Penn still lost by a healthy margin underscores just how systemic its offensive maladies are, how they don't rise and fall with Bernardini alone and how difficult they will probably be to correct.
The sophomore came out of the gate strong this year with 62 points in his first three games but has disappeared at key times - for example, scoring four and six points in losses to Temple and Navy, respectively, and fouling out against Penn State. He has maintained the scoring production from his banner freshman campaign but has been less efficient from the field, especially from three-point distance.
But his well-established status as Penn's most talented shooter left coach Glen Miller with little choice but to let him play himself out of the slump.
Bernardini said that he has been frustrated with a shooting slump that "everybody probably knows about." But he added that his biggest concern last night was on the defensive lapses of the team as a whole, himself included.
As for his offense, Bernardini had to be satisfied, even if he didn't show it. Two of his four three-pointers came at crucial times and helped Penn keep its deficit from ballooning. More importantly, he moved well without the ball and set himself up for easy two-point shots, where he was 5-for-7.
La Salle coach John Giannini did not alter his preparations on defense in response to Bernardini's recent record - an indication of the respect he receives despite his underclassman status. But the Explorers' persistent interior defense often left Penn with few options when its best guard was unable to work himself open.
It was more clear than ever that Bernardini cannot win Penn games - or lose them - on his own.
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