In his first game against Princeton as Penn's head coach, Patrick Knapp got a full plate's worth of the rivalry which has existed for so long between the two schools.
While the 50 minutes of basketball were not always the easiest to digest for the sparse but vocal Jadwin Gym crowd, this was another one of those nights when it seems like things could not go any other way.
"You can't argue with the kids' heart, the kids' effort," Knapp said. "Congrats to our players -- Cat [Makarewich], Karen [Habrukowich], Amanda [Kammes] just kept hanging in, Joey [Rhoads], Fleisch [Jennifer Fleischer], Jenna Markoff got some good minutes."
Knapp then paused.
"Oh, boy," he added.
The two teams displayed several of the characteristics which their male counterparts have made legendary in their many encounters.
Princeton ran more than a few backdoor cuts and took the shot clock down to single digits many times, while Penn whipped the ball around the perimeter and shot an impressive 64.7 percent from three-point range.
Despite having been at Georgetown for so many years, Knapp is well aware of the rivalry that exists between the Quakers and Tigers, having been raised in Philadelphia on the many traditions of local college basketball.
"Being a Big 5 fan, I always did [know about the rivalry]", he said. I was "Not quite sure what the crowd participation would be, but these guys knew it was a tough game up here, and that might have played on their mind a little bit."
Princeton head coach Richard Barron, in his fourth season at the Tigers' helm, wasn't surprised at all.
"I think it's always been that way," he said. "I think if you ask the kids that play in the program, every game matters, and every game in the Ivy League is a big rivalry."
Like her coach, Penn guard Joey Rhoads also knows plenty about local hoops, having grown up in nearby Huntingdon Valley, Pa. So even though she is only a sophomore, she was ready for whatever this night would bring.
"It's always a tough game when we play them," she said. "It wasn't a very pretty game, but we just want to win."
Junior forward Jenna Markoff was a little bit more blunt.
"We were all just very excited for this game," she said. "Princeton's always been one of the biggest games on our schedule, and it's definitely a pride thing. We want to keep it with Penn, and not let them win -- ever."
Senior guard Karen Habrukowich has been through seven of these games now,including four under the bright lights of Jadwin Gym's geodesic dome-shaped roof.
"I don't know what it is about Jadwin Gym, but it seems like we always have a tough game here," she said.
Habrukowich added that she expects the rivalry to become even bigger after she graduates in May.
"Definitely, it has a chance to," she said. "They are coming up, Princeton."
Another well-known aspect of Penn-Princeton games is their Tuesday night time slot. Having just won grueling games at Yale and Brown three days ago, and with conference powers Harvard and Dartmouth coming to the Palestra this weekend, last night's game could not have come at a more inconvenient time.
"We've got to get our legs back right now," Knapp said. He noted that the Crimson and Big Green "are coming in with the whole week ahead of them, and we just went through a war."
Nonetheless, Knapp expressed the utmost confidence in his players.
"That's what we get, and it is at home," he said. "And if anybody can do it, once again, the collective will of these guys is something else."
