W. Hoops entertains two Ivy foes

The Penn women's basketball team hopes to get back on track against Brown and Yale. The discarded fan packs and Dunphy heads have been cleaned out of the Palestra since the men's loss to Princeton on Tuesday, but it is the women's basketball team that will try to restore Penn pride at home this weekend when they face Brown tonight and Yale tomorrow. "I'm disappointed for the guys but I'm still glad to be at home," Penn sophomore forward Diana Caramanico said. "The Palestra is still the Palestra and hopefully we'll get the roll of the rim that comes with the home-court advantage." Caramanico's teammate Jessica Allen agreed. "What happened is a totally separate incident," she said of the men's team's loss. "And it's not like we sell this place out." Each of this weekend's opponents will test a different aspect of the Quakers' lineup as Brown's backcourt is known for exploiting teams with full-court pressure, while Yale's success stems mainly from the Elis' domination in the post. But despite the variety of challenges they can expect, the Quakers have one main goal in mind, according to Caramanico. "I want to kick their butts," she said. In their last match-up with the Bears, the Quakers saw a comfortable lead slip away at the hands of Brown's full-court press. Penn led at halftime before Brown's defense spawned a second-half run that resulted in a 77-72 Bears victory. "We have to handle the pressure that killed us last time," Penn guard Erin Ladley said. "We were up by 14 and then they pressed us and we folded." "We turned the ball over too many times down the stretch," Caramanico said. "We weren't smart with the ball because we totally panicked and fell apart once they started pressing." The same details were salient in Allen's memory of the game, more or less. "I remember it being really, really ugly," she said. According to Penn guard Sue Van Stone, the Quakers have gained valuable experience since the loss in Providence. The senior co-captain feels her team is now better equipped to handle the press in a more aesthetically pleasing fashion. "Their pressure took us out of our rhythm last time but I think we're more poised and prepared now," she said. Penn coach Julie Soriero described another Brown weapon that Penn should have an answer for this time around -- freshman Rachel Macdonald. At Brown, the forward came off the bench to lead the Bears' comeback with 12 second-half points. "She scored a ton of points very quickly. I think we need to be a little bit more prepared for her this time," Soriero said. "Early in the Ivy League season, you're not quite sure what a freshman is capable of doing. At this point, though, there aren't too many surprises left. She won't sneak up on us this time." "They had one big girl that came off the bench and scored," Allen said of Macdonald. "Hopefully I'll be able to stop her this time because I'll be better prepared for her and the way they play." With Yale arriving the next day, the Quakers can certainly use some practice in trying to contain strong post players. The Elis' Katy Grubbs made an impression on Penn during their last meeting, a 70-64 Penn win. "Grubbs is really physical and strong inside. She's a good rebounder and a good match-up for [Caramanico]," Ladley said. "We have to make sure we box out this weekend because that has killed us in the past." Yale may prove to be an especially hungry opponent in light of its recent performances. After ending Harvard's 2 1/2-year Ivy win steak in a 59-44 win over the Crimson, the Elis proceeded to lose to Columbia, ending the Lions' two-year Ivy losing streak. "They're an up and down team," Soriero said of Yale. "They beat last year's defending champion and then they turned around and lost to a team that hadn't won a game in like 20 Ivy League contests. You never know what level of intensity and competitiveness they will bring to the floor." "After what happened at Columbia, they're going to be out to beat some people and we better be on our guard," Caramanico said. But rather than fearing the Elis' wrath, Allen instead abstracted optimism from the recent games -- viewing them as indicators of the parity among Ivy league teams. "It just proves that on any given night, any Ivy League team can beat any other one," she said. "It just depends on who wants to win more."