[Comey]

More 74 goodness:

Penn is the second Ivy League team to reach the NCAA title game; the first was Penn, in 1953-54 (got run over by UCLA's wrecking ball, which nabbed three titles in four years, on a collective record of 133-2. No joke. The only other loss they suffered was in the 1952 Final Four, to eventual champion Dayton. Dayton handed them their loss in 1953, too). They had a great recruiting class a few seasons ago, nabbing the top recruit in the nation, Harry Lavender. They reached the NIT in his freshman year, then the Sweet Sixteen his sophomore season.

This season (1978-79), Penn got back to the pinnacle. UCLA wasn't standing in their way, but a nearly formidable opponent was.

Current kingpin, 38-1 Western Kentucky. WKU fell in the Elite Eight last year, but made it to the title game two years ago. To many, this is simply the coronation of a great champion. Their only loss was to #2 NC State, and their score disparity was a staggering +26.8 per game. WKU dispatched perennial powerhouse Kansas State, Temple, Maryland, and preseason #1 Southern Cal, to get to the title game. Penn had a magical journey, but faced a Cinderella every round. The three-seed faced 11th-seed St. Joe, then 7th-seed Morehead State. In the Elite Eight, it dispatched WKU's directional brother, Eastern Kentucky. The fifth-seed took out top-seeded NC State in the previous round.

Everyone thought the Quakers would perish against North Carolina, who was back for their second straight Final Four. But the Quakers prevailed, 97-87. That set up the final. The line was WKU by 13.5, one of the highest in history. And, for a half, that seemed destinic. Despite WKU fouling at will, they held a nine-point advantage. That happens when you play super-aggressive defense. You foul, and you get turnovers.

The Hilltoppers stretched that lead out to 15 early in the second half, but the fouls mounted up. With fourteen minutes left, the Quakers were in the bonus. Behind Lavender and some soft offensive play by the Hilltoppers, the Quakers stormed back to tie it at 51. A 19-2 run made it a 58-53 game, in favor of the Quakers. The Hilltoppers would storm back; neither team would have a lead as big as three the rest of the game. Every time the Quakers would get that cushion, the Hilltoppers would hit a three. They went 12-29 from there for the game.

However, the Quakers had intelligence, some savvy headsup play, and a lack of fouls at their side; the Hilltoppers only shot seven freebies all game, while the Quakers shot 28. Three players would eventually foul out for WKU, and two other starters would have four. But, behind sniper-off-the-bench, Ty McNew (16 points, three huge threes), the game went to overtime.

There, though, WKU fell apart, and Penn, behind a staggering 40 points by Lavender, won the title, 105-100. That is a title-game record. The stunning thing is, Penn returns nearly everyone next year, including Lavender. So does WKU. The academics bested the country boys by using their aggression against them. Will the Hilltoppers gain revenge next season?