Crimson edge Quakers 67-66 in last-minute victory

With under five minutes remaining, the men's basketball team was poised to eliminate the Crimson's lingering hopes of grabbing a share of the Ivy title.

But Penn's seven-point lead quickly eroded when the Quakers threw the ball away – literally.

The Quakers committed five of their season-high 21 total turnovers in that five-minute span, ultimately falling to the Crimson Friday night, 67-66. Kyle Casey provided the winning margin on a pair of free throws with 12 seconds remaining.

The turnovers “might have gotten swept under the rug had we pulled it out,” coach Jerome Allen said. “But you can’t win ballgames at the Division I level turning the ball over 21 times.”

Harvard’s full-court press decimated the Quakers (5-21, 4-8 Ivy) in the final minutes, allowing the Crimson (21-6, 10-3) to end the game on an 11-3 run. Penn managed only two field goal attempts in the final two minutes of regulation.

The loss was especially tough for the Red and Blue given the success they had shooting the ball. Penn shot a season-high 61-percent from the field – including 58-percent from long range – but mustered 13 fewer attempts than the Crimson due to turnovers.

The Quakers' turnovers had a major impact early, as Harvard raced out early to an eight point lead with five minutes to go in the first half. They went into the break holding onto a five point lead.

But Penn came out of the break fired up, tying the game at 41 less than five minutes into the second frame. The team held a small lead for most of the second half, until it faltered down the stretch.

Strong shooting from the guards allowed Penn to take that lead, as junior Dan Mockton and sophomores Zack Rosen and Rob Belcore combined for 46 of the team’s 66 points. Belcore's 17 points and 5 three-pointers were both career highs.

“I just think him making shots gave us a chance to win the game,” Allen said. “Overall offensively, we didn’t do a good job offensively, but a lot of guys were making big shots.”

But it was Harvard’s guards who ended up stealing the show. Highly touted senior Jeremy Lin finished with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, and freshman point guard Brandyn Curry tallied 10 points and nine assists on the night.

The win keeps the Crimson’s postseason hopes alive, as they still look to earn a bid to the National Invitational Tournament. Harvard’s season sweep of Penn is its first since 1942.

It was the second time in three games that the Quakers suffered a one-point loss after leading in the final minute . Last Friday, Columbia forward Brian Grimes scored the go-ahead bucket with 2.7 seconds left.

This contest, however, the Quakers had more time to set up a final shot. Having burned their final timeouts in press break situations, they immediately inbounded the ball to Rosen, who drove the length of the court before dishing it to sophomore Mike Howlett. Howlett’s jumper was off the mark, and Lin tipped the rebound away so the Quakers could not get off another shot.

So despite the signs of growth and success against a top-tier Ivy team, the 2010 Quakers added another loss to their record number.

“You lose by one or you lose by 20, it’s still a loss,” Allen said. “You really don’t start finding moral victories at this point, especially after 21 losses.”

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