While many Penn students left campus for winter break, Penn’s basketball teams spent much of the month on the court. As the Quakers charge into the teeth of the conference season, here’s a look back at Penn men’s and women’s basketball during winter break.
Men’s basketball
Record: 8-7, 1-1 Ivy
Penn men’s basketball closed its non-conference schedule with a 1-2 record, first battling to close losses against Big Ten Rutgers and Atlantic 10 George Mason, which ranks 66th out of 365 teams in the NCAA’s NET rankings this season. The Quakers ended 2025 in the win column with an 80-61 victory over NJIT on New Year’s Eve, a game in which they made nearly 40% of their three-point attempts.
In the new year, Penn began the conference campaign with a back-and-forth loss at Princeton on Jan. 5 and a home win over Brown on Jan. 10. The latter marked new coach Fran McCaffery’s first Ivy League coaching victory.
Game of note: 78-76 loss to Princeton, Jan. 5
The Quakers’ loss to the Tigers extended their streak in the rivalry to 14 games, but the matchup itself was not without intrigue. Penn took a 13-point first-half lead before Princeton went on a streak of 16 consecutive made field goals to take the lead. A 13-0 Penn run in the final three minutes gave the Quakers a chance to win on the final play, but sophomore guard AJ Levine’s last-second three-pointer was off the mark.
Player to note: Senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts
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Penn men's basketball prevails over Brown, giving coach Fran McCaffery his first Ivy League win
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Roberts, Penn’s leading scorer, missed four games after suffering a concussion in the Quakers’ Big 5 championship loss to Villanova on Dec. 6, but returned to the lineup against Princeton and led the team with 19 points. Following that game, McCaffery said Roberts had to “get back in rhythm.” The former Drake transfer seemed to do just that against Brown, notching 28 points and bringing home the Big 5 Player of the Week award.
Statistic to know:
Penn is shooting 39.6% from three as a team so far this season, ranking ninth among 365 Division I teams.
Quote that sums up the season so far:
“It sort of hit me the first game I coached,” McCaffery said of coaching his alma mater’s team. “But after that, it was kind of like ‘Ok, next game. It’s a Big 5 game, it’s an Ivy League game, it’s somebody else.’”
“It’s just: prepare the team, get them ready to try to win, try to improve as the game’s going on. Make adjustments, get [opponents] to make adjustments, and then get better, collectively and individually.”
Up next:
At Dartmouth, Saturday, Jan. 17, 3 p.m.
Women’s basketball
Record: 10-5, 0-2 Ivy
The Penn women’s basketball team picked up an impressive 67-62 win over PAC-12 opponent Washington State to open winter break action. The victory was fueled by senior guard Simone Sawyer and sophomore forward Katie Collins, who notched 15 points each.
The team then traveled across state lines to Hackensack, N.J., for the FDU Christmas Classic. Penn won the tournament, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore 78-57 and Binghamton 59-54. But the Quakers’ success soured once Ivy play began, losing to Princeton 74-68 and Brown 77-65.
Game of note: 77-65 loss to Brown, Jan. 10
In their most recent matchup, Penn fell to Brown 77-65 in a double-overtime slugfest. Throughout regulation, the Quakers never led and trailed the Bears by as many as 12 points. Still, Penn was able to battle back to force extra time twice before the Bears pulled away.
Princeton, Harvard, and Columbia have dominated the conference in recent years. If this trend continues, Brown and Penn are expected to compete for the final spot in Ivy Madness. This early loss to the Bears could prove troublesome for Penn as it looks to make the conference tournament.
Player to note: Sophomore forward Katie Collins
In 34.3 minutes per game, Collins is averaging a team-high 13.2 points alongside eight rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. After her rookie-of-the-year campaign last season, she was asked to move from center to primarily playing power forward. She has barely missed a beat.
At the FDU Classic, she was named the tournament’s most valuable player, averaging 19.5 points, nine rebounds, and 4.5 blocks across two games.
Statistic to know:
Penn is excelling on both sides. Among the eight Ivies, the Quakers rank third overall in total offense and defense.
Quote that sums up the season so far:
“I know non-conference games have really helped us prepare,” senior guard Saniah Caldwell said following the FDU Classic. “I know that we have a lot of confidence, a lot of energy, and a lot of excitement heading into Ivy play.”
Up next:
Harvard at home, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m.
