Penn tops Drexel, 84-68, to earn a spot in the Big 5 Classic final
The Quakers were led by Ethan Roberts' 30 points, while TJ Power contributed 18 on Friday night.
After finishing last in Big 5 play the previous two seasons, Penn men’s basketball is set to compete for a Big 5 Classic Championship inside Xfinity Mobile Arena on Dec. 6, following the Quakers’ 84-68 victory over Drexel on Friday.
Penn (3-2) was led by Ethan Roberts (30 points and 8 rebounds) and TJ Power (18 points). While Drexel (2-4) countered with its bench mob, outscoring the Quakers 40 to 10 at the substitutions table — led by Josh Reed’s 21 points on 9 of 14 shooting, a career high.
“It’s just exciting,” Roberts said. “We are just excited about the team in general, but even more so, having Coach Fran McCaffery here.”
Next, Penn will host Merrimack on Nov. 28 (4:30 p.m./ESPN) and Drexel faces Old Dominion on Sunday at home (2 p.m.).
» READ MORE: There won’t be a Villanova-St. Joe’s Big 5 title game this season, but Penn earned its final berth
Top scorer
Roberts set the tone, notching his second straight 30-point performance. He had a 31-point outburst in Penn’s victory over St Joe’s on Monday.
Roberts scored 11 of Penn’s first 19 points and finished the half with 19, with an efficient 8 of 12 shooting.
“It’s just a natural fit in coach McCaffery’s system,” Roberts said in reference to his hot start this year. “I work really hard, so there is an expectation that I get a little bit better each season.”
Bought in
Penn dominated the second half. The Quakers made 13 of 25 attempts (52%) and contained the Dragons to 30 points, as they made 10 of 26 shots from the field.
“These guys want to be coached,” McCaffery said. “They’re listening and they’re making appropriate changes, both individually and collectively.”
The Dragons’ starters scored only 28 of the team’s 68 points, with Eli Beard, Kevon Vanderhorst, and Shane Blakeney scoring 24 combined.
Drexel coach Zach Spiker believes his team wasn’t aggressive enough in response to the Quakers’ run-and-gun offense, commenting on the free-throw disparity. The Quakers made 22 of 28 attempts at the free-throw line, while Drexel went 7-for-17.
“We’ve got to do a better job of defending without fouling and then find a way to put that pressure on the other end,” Spiker said.