Playing against a Division I opponent for the first time this season, Penn showed some signs of progress and a few trouble spots in an 84-78 loss on the road Sunday against American, the defending Patriot League champion.
The Quakers (1-1) battled all the way back from a 13-point deficit to take the lead a few times in the second half, climbing ahead for the final time when senior wing Michael Zanoni drained an open three in transition to give Penn a 67-66 advantage.
American (1-1) responded immediately on the next possession with a wide-open three from freshman Madden Collins off some nice passing and never looked back; Collins finished with a game-high 25 points.
However, the game was arguably lost long before then. The Quakers dug themselves a deep hole in the first half with a long stretch of live ball turnovers and offensive discombobulation, which gave themselves little margin for error the rest of the way.
Penn will face a much stiffer test on Tuesday at Providence, which should be a contender for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The Quakers will likely be 20-point-plus Vegas underdogs against the Friars.
What did Penn fans learn from a tough afternoon?