The Quakers do a pretty good disappearing act. While that may be advantageous for David Blaine, it is quickly becoming a thorn in Penn’s side.
In a matchup known as the “Battle for 33rd Street,” Drexel handed Penn a humbling 77-56 loss, marking the Quakers’ second-straight defeat and 17th straight against City 6 teams.
To make matters worse, the loss was the second consecutive time Penn has come out of the locker room with less intensity and played like a completely different (read: less disciplined) team.
While part of Saturday’s loss could be attributed to the drop in shooting — Penn shot just 27.3 percent from the field after halftime compared to a solid 51.9 in the first frame — coach Jerome Allen called the first-half percentages “misleading” and offered a different explanation for the loss.
“[The Dragons] got penetration, they got offensive rebounds and guys made shots,” he said. “We have to do a better job as a team rebounding the ball and defending the ball.”
Allen may have a point.
In the Quakers’ defense, the players did come out focused at the opening tip, showing hard on screens, scrambling for loose balls and forcing the Dragons to take contested shots.
This inspired play kept the game close, as Penn only trailed by five at halftime. However, the team’s solid effort did not last throughout the entire game.
Drexel consistently found gaps after the break and hustled for both offensive and defensive rebounds, while Penn appeared to be flat-footed and not fully committed.
A better scoring output would have helped the Red and Blue’s chances, but the inability to score only magnified the team’s defensive woes.
Penn’s big men gave up post position rather easily, and there appeared to be a lack of communication along the perimeter as the Dragons took several uncontested shots over the course of the game.
Drexel was also able to penetrate and create scoring opportunities, a strategy that Derrick Thomas and Chris Fouch used all evening en route to 23 and 26 points, respectively.
“We did a bad job of locating Fouch in the first half as a team,” junior co-captain Zack Rosen said. “I think we got his confidence going and it carried over to the second half.”
Many expectations have been placed on the Quakers this year with Allen starting his first full season as head coach and Rosen coming off a stellar sophomore year.
And while a loss like this can be demoralizing, Penn will have to take it, learn from it and move on.
“I think as a group we weren’t out there like we normally are and we’ve got to fix that,” Rosen said.
Just what needs to be fixed seems pretty clear as Allen said that “stopping penetration and contesting shots” will be a key focus in the coming weeks.
“I’m not too concerned because it’s a long season,” Allen said. “What we have to do is be consistent in our defensive approach and everything else will take care of itself.”
As the saying goes, defense wins championships, and in order for the Quakers to achieve their goal of bringing the Ivy title back to Penn, they will have to pick it up on that end for a full 40 minutes.
CHAN PARK is a junior communication major from Basking Ridge, N.J. He can be contacted at dpsports@theDP.com.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
