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Penn reinstates five suspended players before loss to Wagner

NEW YORK - In a wild overtime game that was back and forth throughout, Wagner topped Penn, 68-63, at the Spiro Sports Center on Saturday.

NEW YORK - In a wild overtime game that was back and forth throughout, Wagner topped Penn, 68-63, at the Spiro Sports Center on Saturday.

Five formerly suspended players for Penn, including captain Miles Cartwright, were reinstated for Saturday's game and played. Leading scorer Fran Dougherty was out with an illness.

The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn's student newspaper, which reported Friday that the players were suspended for failing random drug tests, reported on Saturday that alcohol may have played a role in the failed drug tests.

Penn head coach Jerome Allen declined to comment on the Daily Pennsylvanian's report.

The Seahawks (6-5) took the lead on the first possession of overtime and never gave it up. The Quakers had a chance, but Steve Rennard missed a three-pointer with 34 seconds left. Kenny Ortiz made six free throws in the last 20 seconds for the Seahawks.

The Quakers (2-9) had the ball with 36.8 seconds left in regulation and the score tied at 54, but Cartwright let the clock run before missing a tough three.

Seahawks leading scorer Jonathon Williams missed the game. Cartwright led the Quakers with 19 points.

Penn led for the entire first half but fell behind early in the second half.

"We came out [in the second half] in awe of how we played in the first half and not really locked in," Allen said.

The Quakers did not regain a lead until just over three minutes were left in the game. The lead then changed hands 13 times through overtime.

On Dougherty's absence possibly playing a role in the loss, Allen said: "It's a team sport, and all of the guys stepped up and gave us a chance at winning."