The Quakers were on high alert this week as they readied themselves for a flock of Hawks entering the Palestra. As the Hawks looked to make the Palestra their nest, the Red and Blue quickly reminded them why the historic arena is no birdhouse.
On Thursday, Penn men’s basketball kept Maryland Eastern Shore at bay and secured a home-opening victory with a final score of 85-84. Coming into the game, a focal point for the Quakers (2-0) was to integrate their new transfers into the offense right away.
“[Junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts] has that look and he wants the ball. Even tonight, we started getting dicey, and we call his number and he makes the right basketball play and gets to the rim,” coach Steve Donahue said. “Both [Roberts and junior guard Dylan Williams] are exactly what I would hope. I don’t think we’re scratching the surface on how good both of them can be.”
Indeed, the Red and Blue would start off the game hot, led by a pair of three-pointers by Williams and Roberts. This continues the trend of Penn’s transfer players making an immediate impact on the court.
“The guys and the coaches make it easy on me. It just made me feel like I’m appreciated here,” Roberts said. “It’s such a great environment, so in terms of basketball, it’s been a lot of fun, and our team is great … We should keep getting better.”
After the Quakers’ first game against NJIT on Monday, where they found themselves down by double digits at the half, the Red and Blue made it a point to get off to a better start against the Hawks (0-2). With a big-man starting lineup featuring sophomore forward Augustus Gerhart and senior forward/center Nick Spinoso, it seemed that the Quakers were going to try and swarm the Hawks with size.
Instead, the Quakers turned to the three-ball. As a team, the Quakers started off cold from downtown. With five minutes remaining in the half, Penn finally found its footing — and it came from an unlikely source. Coming off the bench, senior guard George Smith provided a spark to a struggling offense. Going three-for-three from the field, Smith lifted the Quakers to a lead against the Hawks. Having only played five minutes in Penn’s opening game, Smith took full advantage of the opportunity in the first half, leading the team with 10 points.
The move to give Smith more minutes is typical of Donahue’s coaching philosophy of a hot-hand approach, where players are given more minutes depending on their performance. Heating up to end the first half, Penn was up 34-31 heading into halftime.
“The three-pointer is three points. Shooters shoot, and so we know it’s not falling right away, but we just have to buy them,” Williams said. “We practice shooting threes … and so we’re not going to change our game because we are missing.”
Only up by three, the Quakers came out in the second half with a purpose. The Red and Blue opened the half with a 14-5 run. Contrary to the first half, the Hawks became swarmed by a suffocating Penn defense that only gave up nine points through the first nine minutes of the half.
With 11 minutes to go in the game, the matchup seemed to be headed towards a blowout, with the Quakers up 56-40. But the high-flying Hawks were not to be counted out just yet. The tide began to turn with a string of aggressive defensive stops and fast-break opportunities that gave Maryland East Shore all the momentum. The Hawks came within four with seven minutes remaining after cutting the lead to 59-55. After a promising start to the half, the Quakers saw their large lead suddenly vanish.
In the waning minutes of the game, a critical play occurred when Brown scored a three-pointer in the left corner off an offensive rebound on a missed free throw. Later, just like in the opener, the Red and Blue once again turned to their junior transfer to save the day. With under three minutes left, Roberts splashed a three-pointer to pad the Quaker lead, making the score 73-63.
After a flurry of three-pointers by the Hawks to keep the game within reach in the final minute, the Quakers iced the game by hitting clutch free throws. It was once again a heart-stopping game that came down to the wire, harkening back to the one-point win the Quakers just had on Monday.
“We just preach at the end of the day, you just want to be 1-0,” Williams said. “So today it was like our second game. So, the process is going to get better, and we’re not sweating over it being slow.”
With a pair of narrow victories to start the season, the Quakers will continue non-conference play against Lafayette and Saint Joseph’s next week, hoping to keep their record unblemished.
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