The men’s basketball team completed their nine-day trip in Italy with a 2-1 record against cross-Atlantic competition.
When in Rome on May 17, the Quakers were bested by U.S. Tiber Roma 82-80. Penn opened the game with an 11-0 lead, and was up by 14 halfway through the fourth quarter, but the Italian club went on a 21-2 run to pull out the razor-thin win.
Rising senior Antonio Woods led the Red & Blue with 19 points. Rising junior A.J. Brodeur, a unanimous First-Team All-Ivy selection, contributed 8 points and 5 assists.
On May 19, the Quakers responded with a 93-56 demolition of Bernareggio 99. Penn swooped to an early 25-5 lead, and was up 52-27 at the break.
Rising junior Devon Goodman paced Penn with 24 points. Brodeur added 13 points and a team-leading 8 rebounds. Woods had 9 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 steals.
The Quakers had 23 assists, only 8 turnovers, and 14 steals.
In the dénouement versus Novara Borgomanero’s second team on May 20, Penn rolled to a 101-55 victory. The Quakers trailed 11-4 in the opening minutes, but used an 18-3 run to forge ahead.
Four players scored in double figures.
Rising sophomore Jelani Williams, who missed all of last season due to injury, led the Red & Blue with 18 points. Fellow rising sophomore Jarrod Simmons had 15 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists. Goodman and rising sophomore Eddie Scott had 10.
Penn made 14 three-pointers, grabbed 44 rebounds, dished out 22 assists, and swiped 14 steals.
The Quakers will fly home from Milan on Tuesday, following a day of relaxation and sightseeing around Lake Como.
The tour marked the program’s second trip to Italy in five years. The team traveled to Venice, Florence, and Rome in the summer of 2013. This year, they visited Rome, Milan, Lake Como, and Lugano, Switzerland.
