For about 30 minutes or so Tuesday night, Penn men’s basketball put forth a competitive showing at heavily favored Providence, hanging in there against its Big East opponent using a combination of excellent outside shooting and opportunistic turnovers.
But it was obvious that the Quakers’ defensive dam would eventually break, and break it did. The Friars wound up crossing the century mark in a 106-81 win at the arena now affectionately known as “The AMP” (Amica Mutual Pavilion).
The biggest individual swing came when junior forward TJ Power missed three free throws midway through the second half when he had a chance to cut the Penn (1-2) deficit to just 10 points. Providence (2-1) responded with a corner three after the string of misses, a six-point swing.
Penn’s offensive charge was led by senior wing Michael Zanoni, who dropped in a career-high 30 points. His performance was Penn’s biggest highlight in an evening that had moments of brilliance, frustration and everything in between.
The matchup with Providence — one of the better teams Penn will face all year — exposed the Quakers’ biggest weaknesses and showcased their strengths.
So where exactly does Penn stand after playing three games in five days?
