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1st |
2nd |
Final |
| UTEP (1-0) |
38 |
31 |
69 |
| Penn (0-1) |
39 |
27 |
66 |
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| Keys to the Game |
| Key sequence |
Trailling by one with the ball, Penn used its final timeout with 54 seconds left. Assumably with a two-for-one in mind, Aron Cohen quickly hoisted up an unnecessary — but open — three-point attempt from 25 feet away. The shot missed badly and Penn was forced to foul. Daron Clarke hit the first free throw and missed the second, but Stefon Jackson was able to get his hands on the offensive board and put it back in to make it a 68-64 game with just 23 seconds left.
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| Key sign it was over |
A Mark Zoller layup with 12 seconds left made it a one-possession game, and after a quick foul, Penn got the miss at the free throw line it needed to get a final shot to tie the game. But after rushing the ball down the court, Darren Smith couldn’t connect on a surprisingly decent look from the top of the key, and the clock expired as Zoller attempted to get out to the three-point line for another attempt.
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| Key performance |
Zoller’s 23-point, 12-rebound effort was impressive, but UTEP wouldn’t have gotten back in the game and taken a second-half lead without Jackson’s 21 points and 9 rebounds in just 25 minutes.
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| Key statistic |
UTEP’s 15-2 edge in bench scoring. Miner reserves combined for 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting in 47 minutes of playing time. Glen Miller used his bench for 44 minutes, but Brennan Votel’s layup was the only field goal in seven attempts and the only bench scoring for the Quakers on the night.
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| Key coaching move |
Tony Barbee knew that with only one guard in Penn’s starting lineup, the Quakers would be susceptible to perimeter pressure. The strategy resulted in some easy layups for Penn, but it also led to 18 turnovers and abysmal three-point shooting for the Quakers.
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| Notes |
| – |
Defending Ivy League Player of the Year Ibby Jaaber’s performance was well below par. Jaaber recorded only five points on 2-of-5 shooting from the field and made only one of two three-point attempts. Worse, he fouled out with 3:46 to play in the game, and played only 13 minutes of the first half after picking up two fouls in the first nine minutes of the half.
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| – |
Both teams struggled mightily from the arc. UTEP connected on just 4 of 22 (18.2 percent) of its three-point attempts, while Penn wasn’t much better at 4 of 21 (19.0 percent).
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| – |
Penn jumped out to an 13-point lead just over eight minutes in, but gave it all up and trailed by four points with 1:07 to play in the first half. However, a buzzer-beating layup by Zoller gave the Quakers a 39-38 lead at halftime. The lead was short-lived, as UTEP opened the second half with a 15-4 run.
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| – |
Penn made 12 of 18 free throw attempts (66.7 percent) in the game, but only 5 of 11 in the final eight minutes of the second half.
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All of Zoller’s points came from inside the three-point line. He shot 10 of 18 from the field and 3 of 5 from the free throw line, but missed all five of his three-point attempts.
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Penn will face hosts Syracuse in its second game of the BCA Invitational on Saturday night at 7:30 pm, and will play Saint Francis (NY) in its final game on Sunday at 3:30 pm.
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