M. Hoops | Ugly game against Brown brings first Ivy home win

See a photo slideshow from this weekend's games here.

Winless at home in the Ivy League, Penn needed a victory in the worst possible way.

And finally, for the first time since Jan. 6, the Quakers sent their fans home happy, but likely still without much confidence in this struggling team.

In front of a crowd of only 3,142 on Fan Appreciation Night at the Palestra, Penn outlasted Brown, 64-54, in a battle that was memorable for its pure ugliness more than anything else.

The Quakers (9-16, 5-6 Ivy) limped out of the starting gate, scoring only eight points in the first 16 minutes and committing 12 turnovers in the first half.

But they were not to be outdone in mediocrity by the Bears (7-19, 1-11), which finished the game shooting an abysmal 3-for-24 from the three-point line and recorded 16 turnovers of their own.

It was ultimately the clutch shooting and tenacious defense of freshman Rob Belcore and sophomore Harrison Gaines that lifted Penn out of the mud just enough to secure the win.

"It feels great," Gaines said. "It was a big burden on our back."

Belcore gave the Quakers their first lead of the night five minutes into the second half. A Zack Rosen strip on defense set him up at the top of the key for a three at the other end, giving Penn a 31-29 advantage.

Though Brown would retake the lead a few minutes later, the Lake Forest, Ill., native responded off a feed from Gaines, making a tough layup despite contact to tie the game at 35.

When the Bears charged late to go ahead 49-47, Gaines slashed to the hoop, getting a basket and the foul for a three-point play. He finished with 14 points and seven rebounds, both team-highs.

And after a Garrett Leffelman three-pointer put Brown ahead by two on the next possession, Gaines wasted no time responding, spotting up from deep and draining the shot to put Penn ahead for good.

Though Belcore did not start, he played 33 minutes for the Quakers and made his presence felt on defense too, leading Penn's full-court pressure to throw Brown out of its rhythm offensively.

Penn's offense fed off the full-court pressure and half court traps that coach Glen Miller put in place, taking advantage of the Bears' short rotation and lack of a true point guard.

"Everyone knows that they're deficient at handling pressure," Miller said. "I thought that was the key to our success in Providence and once again was our key [tonight]."

The Quakers were down by as many as 13 points midway through the first half before ramping up the pressure. The improved defensive approach sparked a run that brought Penn to within two points heading into the locker room.

Brown's Matt Mullery - perhaps the most talented center in the Ivy League - turned in another stellar performance, going 8-for-9 from the field. He scored 19 points and recorded 10 rebounds and five blocks, all game highs.

His effort was not enough to make up for the Bears' bad three-point shooting and lack of depth. The Brown bench went 3-for-13 from the field, and starters Chris Taylor and Chris Skrelja both fouled out.

Senior Kevin Egee played a solid 34 minutes in his second-to-last game at the Palestra, scoring nine of Penn's first 12 points.

Egee, along with Gaines and Belcore, helped to fill the void left by Tyler Bernardini, who struggled in 23 minutes, scoring six points on 1-for-8 shooting.

Despite all of the flaws, Penn will take a win, even if it's ugly.

"We somehow found a way to fight and respond to all of that," Miller said. "Winning is much better than losing."

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