M. Hoops | Quakers just not 'tough' enough

Penn knows that against certain teams, being physically overmatched is all but guaranteed.

With schools like North Carolina and Villanova on their schedule, the Quakers are certain to get pushed around from time to time.

One time it is never supposed to happen, however, is against another Ivy League team. But during Penn's 74-63 loss to Columbia at the Palestra Friday, the Red and Blue were knocked around as hard as they have been all season. Being bullied hurts, but it hurts even more when the bully hasn't won in your building in seven years.

"Quite frankly, they're just tougher than us. Just tougher," Penn coach Glen Miller said. "Tougher individually, tougher collectively."

The Lions (8-12, 3-3 Ivy) were never supposed to be a factor in the Ancient Eight this season, but they showed one of two things - either they're for real, or the Quakers (5-13, 1-3) are due for a serious hit to their reputation.

What it eventually came down to was Penn's inability to handle Columbia in the paint. In particular, forward Jason Miller - normally nothing more than a solid role player - was simply dominant down low. The 6-foot-8 senior poured in 21 points on 7-for-10 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds, having his way with Penn's big men.

"They just time and time again went into the low post," Glen Miller said. "We didn't have an answer."

Tellingly, the Quakers were outrebounded and outscored in the paint by a 32-26 margin, and by some accounts, outhustled.

Columbia guards Niko Scott and K.J. Matsui took advantage of their wide-open looks from the outside, scoring 10 and 11 points, respectively, and draining three three-pointers each.

Penn's defense has been on-and-off throughout the season, and Friday was a decidedly off night.

"On the defensive end we just don't have the discipline we need right now," said senior guard Kevin Egee, who scored 12 points. "We don't communicate as well as we need to, we're not there for our teammates."

And it wasn't as if the Quakers made up for it on the offensive end. Forward Brennan Votel was competent in the paint, notching 13 points, and guard Tyler Bernardini tallied 15 behind some strong dribble-drives.

But besides a strong effort from Egee, they were given little help. Guards Harrison Gaines and Zack Rosen (who did dish out eight assists) combined to go 2-for-11 from the field.

Perhaps the only bright spot in Penn's evening came in the form of the sibling rivalry between Egee and his younger brother Steve, Columbia's freshman guard.

They were teammates at nearby Ridley High School for a season, but they had never played against each other before Friday. Their extended family and friends came out en masse, turning Section 110 into the unofficial Egee fan zone.

Steve ended up with four points in six minutes of action, and the brothers were given the opportunity to guard one another when they were on the court together.

"It was real strange, man, seeing him in the light blue jersey. I'm always used to seeing him in the Ridley green," Kevin said after the game. "It's definitely a weird feeling, but he played a good game."

This was likely the only solace to be extracted from a game that is one of the season's low points. As the Quakers are well aware, the only other takeaways aren't pleasant to think about.

"We lift weights.. You have to apply that physical strength in a game situation," Miller said. "They did. We didn't."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.