PHILADELPHIA, PA. 2/6/2016 – The University of Pennsylvania showed strength on the inside outrebounding the Harvard Crimson posting a 67 – 57 win before 4,018 at The Palestra. Penn had a 53 – 32 advantage in rebounding as well as a 46 – 26 edge in points close to the basket in getting their second Ivy League win of the season.
For the Quakers it was a matter of getting after the ball when the shot is missed. This is an area of the game that the team has improved upon since the start of the season.
“After the George Mason game we started a drill ‘Competing After The Shot’, CAS. The guys bought in and now this is a strength of ours.”
“They (Penn) are the best in the league recently in offensive rebounds,” said Harvard Coach Tommy Amaker. “They do a great job of keeping the ball alive and going after it. There were times when we felt we should have come up with it and didn’t.”
Three players for the Red and Blue recorded double-doubles. Nelson-Henry led the way for the Quakers recording his sixth double-double of the season scoring 18 points and pulling down 12 rebounds. However, he had help underneath as forward Matt Howard gathered 11 rebounds and registering 12 points for his third double-double of the campaign. Max Rothschild got his first scoring 14 points, 4 shy of his career-best, and taking down 11 rebounds.
“We are really effective,” said Rothschild. “It speaks to us being active on the glass and competing after the shot, which Coach Donahue preaches every day.”
Defensively the Quakers held the Crimson to 30.9% shooting (21 of 68). However, Harvard played without their leading scorer and rebounder Zena Edosomwan in both games this weekend. Agunwa Okolie led the Crimson with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Patrick Steeves scored a team-high 13 points while Corey Johnson added 11.
Penn improves to 8-11 of the year, 2 – 3 in league play. The Red and Blue head to New York next weekend to encounter Columbia, who holds a share of second place in the Ancient Eight, then going to Ithaca to play Cornell. The Quakers do so coming off a Ivy weekend sweep.
“That’s huge,” Rothschild said. “To beat Dartmouth and Harvard, great teams, says a lot about our toughness coming off an 0 – 2 weekend, last weekend. We competed this weekend and improved as a team.”
Written By: Glenn Papazian
Contact: Glenn@PhillyCollegeSports.com
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