W. Hoops' weekend may break records

Diana Caramanico may make history in games against Brown and Yale. Whoever is in charge of making changes in the Penn women's basketball record books might need to start stocking up on ink. With a total of three records -- one individual and two team -- poised to be broken by the Quakers (3-0 Ivy League, 12-5 overall) this weekend when Yale (2-2, 6-11) and Brown (0-4, 5-13) visit the Palestra, the Penn record keeper's pen could run dry in a hurry. The individual record may be broken tomorrow by Penn tri-captain and defending Ivy League Player of the Week Diana Caramanico, who is just four of her trademark turn-around jumpers away from breaking the Penn career field goals record of 596, set by Kirsten Brendel in 1991. For Caramanico, the second-leading scorer in the nation with a 25.1 points per game average, getting eight points on the floor should not be much of a stretch. Naturally, though, the modest junior forward is more concerned about her team's standing than her own. "I'm happy to contribute any way I can to the team," she said. "It just happens that scoring is usually what it comes down to for me. But I try to do anything I can." Penn coach Kelly Greenberg, who stresses the team nature of the game over the importance of a go-to player, said that having a modest but consistent player on the floor like Caramanico is very relieving. "That should be her middle name: Consistency," Greenberg said. "On this team we have many weapons, and some nights those weapons may be off. It's nice to know that you have her when that happens. It's great to know that you have a player like that on your side who can always contribute." The two team records that the Penn squad is on the brink of breaking this weekend are more remote than Caramanico's scoring mark. Currently, the Quakers are riding a six-game winning streak at the Palestra, which matches the record set in 1982-83 and equalled in 1983-84. This mark could be broken tonight if Penn can tame a surging Yale squad on 33rd Street. But the Elis are on a four-game winning streak of their own right now, with their last two victories coming on the road. They're also on an Ivy run of good luck after knocking down Brown in their last two league games by more than 10 points. "They're coming in on a high," Greenberg said. "We've got to not just beat them, but do it by such a large margin that they can't think they can beat us the next time we play." To do this, the Quakers will need to not only dominate in the scoring column, but also in another key aspect of their game -- rebounding. "With the style of play we have, we need to rebound," Caramanico said, referring to the quick transition offense that Penn prefers. "There's a trend for us that if we out-rebound the other team then we usually win, and if they out-rebound us then we usually lose. It's definitely going to be a big key to our game." Controlling the boards could be a challenge for Penn, though. Yale boasts four players measuring six feet or taller, including 6'3" center Lisa Kaegi. Penn's 6' 3" center Jessica Allen, although 100 percent healthy according to Greenberg, will still be sitting instead of jumping at the 7 p.m. tip-off tonight after an injury earlier in the season. This leaves Caramanico, at 6'2", as the Quakers' tallest starter. "They traditionally have big girls," Caramanico said. "So definitely inside, we're going to have to be strong and play big. It's going to be physical." If the Quakers can out-muscle Yale, they'll be able to work their way into the Penn record books with a seventh-straight Palestra win. An eighth could be in order tomorrow night when Penn hosts Brown for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off. With eight players above the six-foot mark, the big Bears have traded quickness for size, which Greenberg plans to exploit as much as she can with her speedy team. "On the offensive end, we want to run," she said. "They have big kids, which means we should take Julie [Epton] and Di [Caramanico] and just run with them. And we're also going to make sure to press a lot." The high-pressure, run-and-gun game that the Quakers will play against Brown could mean a high score -- and possibly yet another Penn team record. Only four Quakers' teams, including this year's squad, have scored 90 or more points in three games in a single season. If Penn completely overwhelms either Yale or Brown this weekend, they'll be the first Quakers to have four 90-plus games in a single season. Although not at the top of the to-do list for any member of the team, Caramanico said that another big-scoring night would be nice to have at this point in the season -- but that it is not expected. "As long as we have at least one more point than the other team, we're happy," she said with a chuckle. "We're not hard to please. "When we have a high-scoring game then it means that -- since two people aren't usually going to combine for 90 points -- everyone made a big contribution."