Penn Quakers: Gearing up for the Ivy League tournament

They weren’t supposed to be here but the Penn Quakers defied the odds to make the Ivy League tournament.

It’s a historic moment for the Penn Quakers [13-8, 5-8 IVY] to make the first ever installment of the tournament and they will look to throw a wrench in everyone’s plans. The Quakers began their league season 0-6 and were sitting in last place in the league. Then a January matchup with La Salle turned the tides. They won that game 77-74 to secure their first Big Five win of the season and much-needed confidence for the home stretch.

Once February hit, the tides turned for the Quakers as they finished out the season 6-5 to surge into the fourth spot in the league. That surge was paced by a five-game winning streak from February 10th until February 24th. That streak saw them tie and then pass Colombia for the final qualifying place in the tournament. They also knocked off two teams that will currently be joining them in the tournament in Yale and Harvard.

With those wins, the Penn Quakers know that they can compete with the big boys of the league and they’ll need all of their resolve for their first game. The Quakers will take on the Princeton Tigers [21-6, 14-0 IVY] tomorrow in the opening game at 1:30. The Tigers have been led by their defense all year, beating Penn twice and not allowing them to break 55 points in either contest.

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But this is a different Penn squad. The biggest difference is freshman Ryan Betley who has found his stroke from behind the arc and is averaging 11.6 points per game. Betley has opened the game for A.J. Brodeur to thrive in the post and for Matt Howard to drive to the basket. All three are averaging double-digit scoring totals and each has the ability to take over a game at any moment. They’ll need to be on their game to beat the Princeton Tigers but the Quakers have home court advantage on their side.

With the Ivy League tournament taking place at the Palestra, the Penn Quakers will have ample home support as Philadelphia looks to cheer them to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2007. The Quakers are a long shot to win this one but they have momentum on their side coming into this one with six wins in their last eight games. They come into this match with nothing to lose and it will likely show in their play.

If Penn advances past Princeton, they will take on either Harvard or Yale, two teams that they have already beaten this season. Usually for teams back to back matchups would be a concern, but for the Penn Quakers, this is a pretty normal occurrence. The Ivy League schedule has teams play back to back matchups so they all know what to expect this time of year. It will be a tough road but it wouldn’t be inconceivable to see the Quakers sweep the weekend and sneak into the NCAA Tournament. It would be a disappointment for the tigers to finish undefeated in the league only to falter in the tournament, but that’s the risk that comes with having a conference tournament.

Next: A10 Tournament Preview

Hopefully, the Quakers can pull an upset but even if they don’t it has been a sucessful season for coach Donahue’s young squad. It will be an experience to build off of for next year as they look to make a return to this competition.

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