Basketball season is back, and it didn’t take long for there to be a lot of drama.
Penn men’s basketball trails George Mason, 37-33, after one half of play in both team’s season openers. But the big story of the half was an injury to junior guard Ryan Betley, who went down awkwardly and painfully just five minutes into the game.
Betley stayed on the ground for several minutes, as medical staff looked at his knee. He eventually got up, but needed significant help getting to the locker room.
In his place, freshman Michael Wang took up the sharpshooting mantle. Despite being listed as a 6-foot-10 forward, Wang showed plenty of skill from beyond the arc, shooting 5 for 8 from three en route to a game-high 14 points.
Junior forward AJ Brodeur also dominated early on in the game, scoring six of the team’s first nine points. He finished the half with eight points, and was the only other Quaker to score more than three points.
In typical fashion, coach Steve Donahue went to his bench early and often. Twelve different Penn players saw the court in the first half, including a pair of freshmen in Wang and guard Bryce Washington.
The Quakers held the lead for much of the half, but it began to slip away towards the end of the second half. A bevy of fouls by the Red and Blue put the Patriots over the bonus and they made the most of their opportunities, sinking all seven free throws they received in the last five minutes.
A scuffle under George Mason’s hoop with just under a minute left led to Woods picking up two fouls, including a technical, to bring his total to four for the game.
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.
Donate