UPenn Edges Women Hoopsters, 72-70

No alibis. No excuses. The women's basketball team dropped its fifth straight Saturday to Pennsylvania, 72-70.

The cagers are in trouble, and coach Carole Kleinfelder knows it: "We're not playing well, and I'm not all that sure what we're going to do to turn it around."

Poor rebounding and foul shooting, which have troubled the squad all season plagued the hoopsters for most of the evening. Though the Quakers did not start a player taller than six feet, they consistently outhustled the Crimson under the boards. Harvard's 10-22 shooting from the line speaks for itself.

Before the game began, Kleinfelder said she had instructed the team to shoot more from the floor, and shoot they did--from the top of the key, from the corners, from anywhere outside of 20 feet. The longdistance offense yielded fewer turnovers but also led to a 35-per-cent field goal conversion rate, not a winning statistic.

Lacking Luster

Neither team looked particularly impressive during the contest's opening minutes. With both squads using zone presses and defenses, the ball rarely got near the basket. Led by 5-ft. 1-in. guard Mary Monahan and forward Nellie Duncan, the Quakers were the first to pull themselves together, jumping to a 9-2 lead after six minutes.

After several Harvard time outs and lineup changes, the Crimson settled down and evened the score at 17. Freshman Nancy Boutillier replaced starting point guard Ann Scannell, who again lost her composure when pressured. Boutillier, who netted 14 points for the evening, played confidently throughout the game.

A dull first half ended as UPenn took a 33-30 lead into the locker room.

But when the two teams emerged for the second period, the Quakers unveiled their secret weapon: freshman guard Maria Ramiu. A replacement who saw little action in the first half, Ramiu displayed startling speed as she drove, spun and twisted for 17 second-half points.

Embarrassed by Ramiu's one-woman show, the Crimson revved up its offense and climbed back to a 56-56 tie. Margot Long, who led all scorers with 18 points, and co-captain Caryn Curry worked well with Boutillier as the lead switched hands several times.

After a controversial play during which Harvard's Karen Smith ended up sitting under the UPenn basket unconsoled by a foul call, the hoopsters lost their concentration. Several opportunities to regain the lead slipped away, and with 30 seconds left, the cagers watched helplessly as the Quakers stalled their way to the two-point win.

Guard Frenesa Hall, who missed a crucial foul shot in the stretch, summarized the team's frustration: "We need a win, and we need a win quick."

Boy, do they need a win.