Sam Brown’s 42-point night is the best scoring performance by a Quaker since 1989

In a basketball season to forget for Penn, Saturday was a night to remember.

In New York, Penn defeated Columbia, 92-87. The Quakers (8-18, 4-9 Ivy League) had suffered a 90-62 loss to Cornell the night before, but Sam Brown willed them to victory by scoring a career-high 42 points on Saturday. The sophomore guard made 14 of 20 shots from the floor, including four three-pointers.

The Lions (12-14, 1-12) looked to foul down the stretch, repeatedly sending Brown to the line. The former Lower Merion star made 10 of 11 from the charity stripe overall and helped Penn pull away in the final minutes.

Brown’s 42 points marked the fourth time a Quaker has scored 40 or more in a game in program history and the most by a Penn player since Hassan Duncombe scored 44 against Navy in 1989.

“Holy [expletive]. It feels great,” Brown said of his performance. “I don’t think it’s fully hit me yet.”

After an impressive rookie campaign, Brown began his sophomore season in a slump. Against nonconference opponents, Brown mustered just eight points per game and shot just 23.4% from three-point range.

Something switched for Brown when the team began Ivy League play in January. He has averaged 19.3 points and has shot 43.2% on three-point attempts in league action.

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“I think it was just a testament to all the work that I put in,” said Brown, the son of former 76ers coach Brett Brown. “... I’m proud of the internal resilience that I’ve shown. I’ve definitely grown from that.”

Coach Steve Donahue said that in nonleague play, Brown “wasn’t sure if he should do it or shouldn’t, and he got in his own head. Now he’s playing that if he has a shot, he takes it. If he doesn’t, he’ll take you deeper. If you stop him, he’ll rise up.”

Brown’s game has not just improved, it has changed. He is now routinely finding success from midrange as well as driving into the paint. In a win against Dartmouth last weekend, the guard showed off his slashing in spectacular fashion.

With 5 minutes, 15 seconds left in the first half, Brown drove past a defender before converting a poster dunk over a Big Green defender. The dunk got the attention of San Antonio Spurs point guard Chris Paul, who shared the highlight to his Instagram story.

After Saturday’s performance against Columbia, Brown gave immediate credit to Clark Slajchert for molding his game last season. He described the former Penn guard as “one of the toughest guards” he has ever faced.

Slajchert, who is playing out his final year of eligibility with USC, was Penn’s leading scorer last season and was named second-team All-Ivy.

“Super proud of Sam for the way he’s grown on and off the floor,” Slajchert said in a text. “As soon as he got to campus last year it was clear that not only did he have the talent to be a really good Ivy player, but he has this growth mindset that is hard to teach.”

Along with Brown’s career night, center Nick Spinoso had his moment on Saturday. The team captain reached the 1,000-point mark early in the second half.

“It feels great, but it’s always great to do it when you have a great group of guys around you and you just realize how much people help you get to where you’re at,” Spinoso said. “I mean, obviously Sam having 42 is ridiculous. Also, a shout-out to the older guys who came before me, and all the guys who helped.

“This is home for me. I’m from New York, I have so many people here who I’m so happy and excited to go see. … It was great to do it here.”

With no Ivy Madness for the second season in a row, the Quakers’ season finale will come on the road against Princeton on Saturday. Penn has lost 12 straight games to the Tigers, a streak dating to 2019.

“I’ve never beaten Princeton, so that’s all it is,” Spinoso said. “Although it’s not the playoffs, it’d be a great way to end my career. Just beat Princeton, that’s my goal.”