Sophomore guard Sam Brown goes for the dunk against Dartmouth on Feb. 21.
Credit: Uma MukhopadhyayIn the first game of their final home weekend of the season, the Quakers battled their way to victory against Dartmouth with a final score of 88-75.
Dartmouth (12-11, 6-4 Ivy) came into the evening looking to continue its four-game win streak, especially as they had just destroyed Cornell by almost 40 points. But Penn’s (7-16, 3-7) performance prevailed over these vantage points.
Despite Penn’s success in the tip-off, Dartmouth took an early lead as guard Connor Amundsen put the Big Green on the board first with a three-pointer. But sophomore guard Sam Brown quickly responded with a jumper to put up the first points for the Quakers.
Penn stayed on Dartmouth’s tail through the first half and gained no lead. Dartmouth played keep-away from the Quakers when the ball was on their side, and there were three times where Dartmouth players weaved passes directly through Penn’s defense or above their heads.
Nevertheless, Penn persisted. Junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts drove an incredible backdoor cut for a layup with an assist from senior guard George Smith. Moments later, Roberts scored Penn’s first three-pointer with 13 minutes remaining in the half to bring the score to 11-18.
After a four-minute scoring drought, where Penn made zero out of 10 shots as Dartmouth crept away with a 13-point lead, the Quakers’ saving grace was substituted in. Junior guard/forward Michael Zanoni — coming off of an eight-game hiatus due to illness — ended the drought with a three-pointer. He sparked an offensive impulse in the Quakers as they went on a 10-point run in the following two minutes to reduce Dartmouth’s lead to five points. Zanoni ended the game with nine points and three rebounds in 18 minutes of play.
“Michael is such a good weapon to have,” coach Steve Donahue said. “He’s not 100% yet, but I thought he gave us a real good lift. [He] made some shots early that we were struggling [with].”
“We all love Mike, and being able to see him on the court playing with us gives us a new energy,” Brown said.
Taking a dip in the cookie jar, dunks by Brown and sophomore guard Augustus Gerhart were undoubtedly the highlight of the game. Brown slammed the ball through the net with one arm, and Gerhart followed his lead minutes later with a two-armed jam.
“I’ve never done anything like that, so it was a new feeling,” Brown said with a laugh.
Brown’s dunk was only one part of an exceptional game. Finishing with a double-double of 15 points and 10 assists, Brown brought a Hail Mary to the Quakers in this game.
“I thought he controlled the whole game,” Donahue said. “He does real good defensively, finding guys. And he’s got a heck of a future ahead of him. … I don’t know if there’s a more efficient offensive player right now.”
“He’s so mature for a sophomore. He’s got a good head on his shoulders. … I’m surprised it didn’t come sooner. He is the first one in the gym every single morning without a doubt,” senior forward/center Nick Spinoso said.
Penn finished the first half down by merely two points, and they made sure to make the Palestra shake with exultant energy as the second half began.
Smith scored a layup seconds into the half to tie the game, and despite Dartmouth’s scoring response, junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts evened the score again at 48 points with a triple. With 15 minutes remaining, Roberts sparked Penn’s first lead of the game with a three-pointer.
“I thought the second half, in particular, that first 10 minutes, [Dartmouth] just didn’t have any looks,” Donahue said.
A 15-0 run throughout a four-minute span kept the Quakers on top as the clock winded down with nine minutes left. Brown, Spinoso, and Smith are those to thank for the lead — each scoring four, six, and four points in this run, respectively. Smith and Brown ended the game with double-doubles.
The crowd then roared after Smith executed a big steal and Euro step to score two points. The cheers did not stop as Smith hit two consecutive three-pointers over Penn’s next possessions to bring the score to 71-55.
Dartmouth could not compete with the Quakers’ momentum, and the clock made a final buzz as the Penn players burst off the bench victoriously.
By ending their five-game losing streak, the sky is more blue as the Quakers’ season winds down. However, this team does not let their record prove their excellence in the Ivy Conference.
“I know that our record is worse than we truly are,” Brown said. “I’m excited going forward. I think the work that we put in is going to accumulate and give dividends.”
This game also marks the beginning of the end for senior Quakers as they play their final game in the Palestra. One senior, Spinoso, had one of his best-scoring games at Penn — tying his career high of 23 points, which also led the team in scoring.
“I’ve been off a little bit of a tough stretch the past few games, but it felt good to get [shots] to fall,” Spinoso said. “But, I mean, I didn’t do too much work. Sam found me, Ethan found me. They did a really, really good job.”
Looking back on his career at Penn, Spinoso added, “I’m so lucky to be able to play here. … I’ve had a great four years here, through ups and downs, and I’m just gonna cherish it and hopefully go out with a bang.”
While the Quakers’ hopes of a spot in the Ivy League tournament are lost, the team only takes the season one game at a time. Brown and Donahue only had two words to describe their motivations for the next and final home game.
“Beat Harvard.”
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