Liveblog: Penn v. Princeton (M. Hoops)

Follow along as Penn men's basketball takes on Princeton in its 2013-14 season finale.

Liveblog: Penn women's hoops vs. Princeton for the Ivy title

Penn-Princeton. 40 minutes. One Ivy champion. Sports Editor Riley Steele, Senior Staff Writer Mike Tony and I among other will bring you the action as the Tigers and Quakers go for Ivy glory and a berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Penn basketball at Cornell

There was very little to write home about in Penn’s second to last game of the year against Cornell. The Quakers snuck by the Big Red, 69-65, but neither team looked very impressive outside of small spurts. Here is a slightly warped edition of the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Ugly: THE WHOLE GAME

There isn’t much to say in this regard. Cornell runs a chuck and pray offense, throwing up three-pointers without thinking and relying on sophomore guard Nolan Cressler to make anything happen. Yet Penn found itself behind in the second half before Fran Dougherty and company got going to push the Quakers ahead for good.

The Ugliest: 2013-14 Cornell basketball

Think Penn’s 8-19 record is bad? Just look at Cornell. The Big Red finished their season with a startling 2-26 record with just one win over a Division I opponent (A victory vs. Dartmouth). Cornell was left with little hope after junior guard Shonn Miller was injured before the season and the team barely salvaged a couple victories out of the season.

The Redeeming Qualities: Dau Jok and Penn’s seniors

On a night where nothing seemed to go right on either team, Cornell waded its way back into the game multiple times late in the second half. But each time, senior captain Dau Jok would hit a clutch three-pointer to hold off the Big Red. He finished the night with six threes and 21 points, playing 39 minutes and all of the second half. Dougherty and fellow-senior Miles Jackson-Cartwright played solid ball down the stretch as well, helping Penn to its first road win in a year.

Liveblog: Women's Basketball vs. Cornell

Penn Women's basketball host Cornell on Senior night as their season nears its close.  Penn comes in fresh off of last night's win over Columbia and riding a six-game home winning streak.  Can the Quakers keep up with Princeton to set up an Ivy Championship matchup on Tuesday?

Liveblog: Penn basketball at Cornell

Penn basketball's season is nearing a close as the Quakers go to Ithaca, N.Y for last-place Cornell's Senior Night. Penn comes in having lost its last three games, including an ugly defeat at Columbia on Friday night. Can the Quakers get back in the win column with two games left in the year?

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Columbia Edition

Good: The Lions, specifically, all of them

Alex Rosenberg wasn’t great against Penn down in Philadelphia, but tonight, he was on fire. And the difference was like night and day. In that first game, Columbia suffered an embarrassing loss, but tonight, the Lions strutted their way to victory on Rosenberg’s back.

He went 3-for-5 from downtown for nine of his 22 points. And he wasn’t the only one draining threes.

The team on the night went 12-for-25 from beyond the arc, while Penn shot a poor 2-for-13.

Bad: Darien Nelson-Henry and Henry Brooks’ sitting out

DNH and Brooks have a history of suspensions — both were a part of a group that sat out the entirety of Penn’s game against Delaware for violating Penn’s drug policy — and coach Jerome Allen had to discipline the two yet again.

Brooks and Nelson-Henry sat out the first 10 minutes of the contest. Allen was mum on the reason for taking disciplinary action, saying that he wanted to keep the situation in house.

And on any given night, having those two players sit while 6-foot-4 Dau Jok played the four would be the most ugly thing to come out of a game.

But when punches are thrown, suspensions move down the list of hot topics.

Ugly: Tony Hicks’ haymaker

After a defensive foul was called on Hicks at midcourt, players from both teams got into a tussle, which ended with two technicals, one punch landed by Hicks and one ejection.

While the referees went over the video tape, Hicks sat at the bench, his head hidden underneath his jersey.

Once the refs saw that a punch was indeed thrown, Hicks was ejected, subsequently walking out of the arena with his eyes to the floor.

Liveblog: Penn basketball vs. Columbia

With three games left in their season, the Red and Blue come to Levien Gymnasium for a matchup with the Columbia Lions. Penn (7-18, 4-7 Ivy) has lost two straight going into this one. Follow Mike Tony, John Phillips and I as we bring you the action>

Liveblog: Penn women's basketball vs. Columbia

Penn women's basketball is three wins away from an Ivy title and NCAA tournament berth. Their first task? To beat seventh-place Columbia tonight. Follow along with myself, Associate Sports Editor Holden McGinnis and Contributing Writer Ellis Kim as we give you the action:

Three up, three down: Penn women's lacrosse vs. Rutgers

Penn women’s lacrosse hosts Rutgers today in the 16th-ever meeting between the schools. No. 15 Penn (1-1) is hoping to revive its momentum coming off of a close loss to No. 1 North Carolina, but the Quakers lost their previous matchup with the Scarlet Knights (3-1), which snapped a three-game Red and Blue win streak in the series.

Three Up

Tory Bensen: After only two games in the 2014 season, Bensen has already racked up eight goals. The senior attack has twice as many tallies as the next-leading scorer for the Red and Blue, Lely DeSimone. Bensen has been a key player for the Quakers during her time at Penn, playing in every game her freshman year but suffering a season-ending injury in her sophomore season. Luckily for the Quakers, she came back strong to once again be an asset in the 2013 season, and Bensen will look to continue to be a force to be reckoned with.

Penn’s defense: In the Quakers’ match up against North Carolina last weekend, it was a strong defensive effort that kept the Red and Blue in the match. While the number of shots were even on both squads, the Tar Heels won 16 draws to Penn’s seven. Junior defense Meg Markham was responsible for three of North Carolina’s 14 turnovers, 10 of which were directly caused by Penn, a strong follow-up to Penn’s 13-turnovers forced effort against Delaware.

The lead: While the defense played strong for the Quakers last weekend, it was the offense that allowed Penn to lead over UNC on four different occasions. This was the first time that the Tar Heels have trailed in a game all season. Led by Bensen, the Red and Blue offense played well, even if in the end it was not quite enough to top the number one seed.

Three Down

History: Rutgers leads the all-time series against Penn, 10-5, a record that includes last year’s narrow 6-5 triumph. And last year the weather was nothing to brighten the day either. As one of the first games of the season for Penn, the Quakers were welcomed to New Brunswick with rain, snow and wind for the duration of the game.

Second half play: While Penn gave North Carolina a good fight, the Tar Heels enforced their will in the second half. If the Quakers hope to make up for last year’s loss to their New Jersey visitors, they will have to maintain their momentum after halftime as fatigue begins to wear in.

Draws: If there is a spot where Penn has shown weakness it has been in draw control. The Red and Blue have only won 18 in the course of the first two games of the season with seven coming from Markham. The Quakers’ opponents have won a combined 25. If Penn hopes to change its luck against Rutgers, it best work on winning those draws.

After the Buzzer: Week of March 3rd

Want a quick recap of Penn men's and women's basketball from last weekend? Well Sports Editor Riley Steele and Senior Staff Writer John Phillips join me to discuss the week that was.

Ivy Hoops Power Rankings 3/4 Edition

Roundtable: What's left to watch about Penn basketball?

Last weekend against Brown and Yale, Penn basketball suffered its third weekend sweep of the season in Ivy play, an ugly mark on an even uglier season. With one more Ivy weekend remaining against Columbia and Cornell, in addition to the season finale at Princeton, what’s left for Penn fans to watch? Our editors discuss:

Sports Editor Ian Wenik: There’s one question that’s pressing on my mind. What happens if Penn loses all three games to end the season and finishes 7-21? It seems to me that a loss at Levien Gymnasium to Columbia is inevitable, considering how good the Lions are on their home court. Cornell is a should-win game and the Quakers already have a win over Princeton, but we’ve seen this team lose eminently winnable games before.

A 0-3 finish to the season would mean that Penn would end the season having lost eight of its final nine games. At that point, I would imagine that with a new AD coming on board to replace Steve Bilsky, serious questions about the state of the Penn program would need to be asked.

Sports Editor Riley Steele: Ian raises a good point regarding the state of Penn basketball and the questions that will need to be asked if the Quakers end up dropping their final three contests. But I know for a fact that Jerome Allen is trying to keep his team focused on these games and not worrying about what lies beyond the end of the season.

One thing that I am intrigued by is whether or not Allen will alter his lineup and rotation at all as the team enters the homestretch. By this point, it is clear that the players being relied upon are not getting it done. While I don’t think drastic changes are needed, I think it’s time for Allen to allow some of the freshmen to see increased playing time.

Once these three games are over, Miles Jackson-Cartwright and Fran Dougherty won’t put on a Penn uniform ever again. If Allen is to be the coach of this team next season, he needs to figure out who will fill the gaps left by the seniors. Is Tony Bagtas suited to take over for Jackson-Cartwright running the point? Can Dylan Jones develop into a formidable big man? Allen should use the rest of the season to evaluate his talent moving forward.

Senior Sports Editor Steven Tydings: Forget the Athletic Director search. Forget the state of the program. Those are topics for after the season.

As Riley said, after these final three games, we won’t see Jackson-Cartwright, Dougherty or any of the five seniors put a Penn uniform on again, excluding the annual Alumni Game. And watching Jackson-Cartwright and company over the last few weeks tells me the senior class will get the most out of their final three games.

After dealing with injuries and being relegated to limited minutes off the bench, it is a shame that there are only 120 minutes left for Steve Rennard to play, considering how well the senior guard has played in recent games.

Since joining the starting lineup, Rennard has done a solid job of shutting down the opponent’s top guard while regaining his three-point shooting stroke that was key to Penn’s Ivy title challenge in 2012.

While I think Rennard and his fellow seniors will be giving their all for these final three games, that effort likely won’t be enough.

Despite losing to Penn four weeks ago, Columbia has dominated its home court as Ian mentioned, losing just once in Ivy play at Levien (a double-overtime heartbreaker against Harvard). And Princeton has shown some of the fight that had the Tigers riding high before losing to Penn in January, having won five of its last seven games.

So predictions-wise, I’d say Penn wins only one game (Cornell) in its next three, but I think the senior Quakers will go out with their heads held high.

2015 guard Morris Esformes commits to Penn basketball

Penn basketball has its first commit in the class of 2015.

2015 guard Morris Esformes from Hebrew Academy (Fla.) has committed to Penn, according to The Recruit Scoop. The Quakers already have four commits in the class of 2014, with guard Antonio Woods, small forward Sam Jones and forwards Mike Auger and Ryan Singer.

Esformes is a 6-foot-0 guard with a solid three-point shot, as well as the toughness to get to the rim. As a smaller guard, he would likely play point guard in Division I. Esformes only began playing basketball in middle school, so he is considered a relatively raw talent.

Penn has also offered 2015 guard Isaiah Still and has shown interest in fellow 2015 guard Myles Stephens.

Liveblog: Yale at Penn

Follow along as Penn basketball aims to right the ship on Senior Night vs. Yale at the final game at the Palestra for the Quakers this year.

Penn women's basketball forward Katy Allen out for the year

Penn women's basketball has been dealt a major blow.

Junior forward Katy Allen, the Quakers' top player off the bench, is out for the rest of the season with a foot injury she suffered at practice on Tuesday. An MRI showed that she had a torn ligament, ending any chance of her returning this season.

Allen started at forward for Penn's first 13 games of the year and transitioned into a prominent bench role in mid-January. She averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds per game while posting the second-best field goal percentage on the team at 46.7 percent.

Penn, which stands in second place in the Ivy League with an 8-2 conference record, will need to rely upon freshman forward Stephanie Cheney now in a more extended role. With Allen out for Friday's game at Brown, Cheney recorded eight points and five rebounds.

Starting forwards Sydney Stipanovich and Kara Bonenberger, who combined for 35 points and 21 rebounds in Friday's win, will also need to take on a bigger role with more minutes for the Red and Blue.

Penn faces Yale in New Haven on Saturday before returning home next weekend to face Cornell and Columbia. The Quakers close out their season with a matchup at Princeton on March 11.

Liveblog: Penn basketball (7-16, 4-5) vs. Brown (14-10, 6-4)

In the second to last home game for Penn basketball's seniors, the Quakers will look to capitalize on homecourt advantage against Brown. The Bears beat Penn up in Providence a few weeks ago, so Sports Editor Riley Steele will bring you the action alongside Karl Bagherzadeh and Seamus Powers.

Three up, Three down: Penn men's lacrosse vs. No. 6 Denver

For the second time in three games, Penn men’s lacrosse is preparing for a heavyweight fight against a highly ranked opponent. With No. 6 Denver (3-1) set to visit Franklin Field this weekend, the No. 20 Quakers will be forced to contain a high octane offense with plenty of talent. As the Red and Blue (1-1) get ready for Saturday’s game, we take a look at who’s up and who’s down heading into Penn’s matchup with the Pioneers.

Three Up -

Penn’s defense: It’s hard to imagine any other team in the nation playing defense as well as the Quakers right now. In both games this season, Penn has shut down its opponents for extended periods, allowing its offense to go to work during those stretches. In their last game, the Red and Blue shut down St. Joseph’s for over 37 minutes at one point, emphatically stifling the Hawks’attack. More of the same will spell doom for the Pioneers on Saturday.

Double the Feeney, Double the Fun: The Feeney twins have been lights out for Penn this season. Brian Feeney has been almost impenetrable in goal, having only allowed 13 goals in two games, including a mere four scores against St. Joes. In the midfield, Brian’s brother Danny scored six seconds into the game against the Hawks, helping spark Penn’s route of its cross-town rival.

Jamie Faus: It’s been an eventful week for the Pioneers’ senior goalkeeper. Denver’s captain not only captured the MVP award in last weekend’s Frontier Airlines Face Off Classic, but was also named Big East Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts against Marist and Canisius in the tournament.

Three Down -

Slow Starts: Other than Danny Feeney’s goal just six seconds into Penn’s matchup with St. Joes, the Quakers have had difficulty in the early phases of their two games this season. Against Duke, the Red and Blue gave up four first quarter goal s and couldn’t pull even after a sluggish beginning. Even Brian Feeney has struggled at the onset of both contests, allowing seven goals combined in the first period this year.

Denver’s Defense: Though the Pioneers have played well in all four of their games this year, the team’s defense has some work to do as the season progresses. Denver has been outshot by 17 in 2014, with most of those shots coming against Faus and company in the second half. They haven’t fared much better early in games, having allowed 20 goals before halftime.

Beating Duke: The Blue Devils have been the proverbial thorn in both Penn and Denver’s paws this season. The Pioneers and Quakers each dropped contests to the top-ranked team in the nation, albeit both in relatively close matchups. If the two teams could push the defending national champion to the brink, there’s no limit to the body blows the squads could trade this weekend.

Roundtable: What will be the biggest factor on Penn basketball's senior day?

Penn basketball’s Senior Day is coming up this Saturday against Yale, which will mark the final games for Cameron Gunter, Miles Jackson-Cartwright, Fran Dougherty, Steve Rennard and Dau Jok on the Palestra hardwood. At the same time, the Elis will be fighting for their Ivy title dreams after dropping a crucial contest with Columbia last weekend. With no shortage of story lines, our editors discuss what they’re looking forward to seeing most on that evening.

Sports Editor Ian Wenik: I’m going to have to argue in favor of seeing Jackson-Cartwright leave it all on the floor for one final evening. Jackson-Cartwright has a commitment to winning, a deep, internal drive that you don’t see too often these days. Who could forget him shouting, “We ain’t going nowhere!” at the top of his lungs towards press row in the midst of that huge season-opening rally against Temple?

MJC is one of the biggest fighters on this Penn roster, and is an unquestioned leader. The Quakers will have plenty of work to do next year to make up for the absence of his scoring touch and tenacity on the ball.

Senior Sports Editor Steven Tydings: Watching this team for a while, it is hard not to admire the effort that this senior class puts in, from Jackson-Cartwright, Dougherty and Rennard in the starting lineup to Jok and Gunter off the bench. The moment I am looking forward to the most over the weekend is when the starting lineup is announced on Saturday night, and we get to see all five that came into the program together get recognition from the Palestra crowd for the final time.

With underclassmen dropping like flies with injury after injury, these five guys have stood steady, playing game in and game out and not missing a beat. While Dougherty said that this isn’t how he imagined his senior year going after losing to Harvard on Friday, the team has a chance for redemption in an important way, looking to close things out at home and get revenge on a Yale squad that beat them in New Haven, Conn.

And to that final point, with postseason hopes all but gone, the Quakers have to relish the opportunity to play the role of spoilers. What better way to go out than to take down some rival foes with you?

Sports Editor Riley Steele: I couldn’t agree with you more Steven; Saturday is going to be an emotional day when all five seniors take the court together, and it would be fitting to send the group out with an upset over Yale.

But I think it’s impossible not to focus in on Dau Jok in his final home game with the Red and Blue. While not a superstar nor a player who gets as much court time as fellow seniors Jackson-Cartwright and Dougherty, Jok has represented Penn basketball off the court better than anybody else on the roster. Jok is a humanitarian, somebody who has been rewarded multiple times over the past several months for his community outreach to children in his native South Sudan. He’s overcome plenty of obstacles to get to this point in his career, and it’s difficult not to root for Jok to succeed.

Jok was never able to capture an Ivy title during his four years at Penn. As a result, the basketball program’s fan base never got to applaud and commend Jok the way he deserves. Hopefully, someone as genuinely humble as Jok will be honored on Saturday, and I look forward to the Palestra crowd giving him a warm embrace.

Penn football releases 2014 schedule

While Florida is the destination for many with spring break on the horizon, Penn football is going to the Sunshine State a little later than most.

Penn released its schedule for the 2014 season and the team's season opener is a road game at Jacksonville on Sept. 20, one of six road games the Quakers will play in their 10-game slate.

Local rival Villanova remains on the Quakers' nonconference schedule, coming to Franklin Field for Penn's home opener on Sept. 27. The Red and Blue begin Ivy play a week later, facing Dartmouth up in Hanover, N.H.

The Quakers then conclude their nonconference slate against Fordham, a squad that won 12 games in 2013 while besting two Ivy opponents (Columbia and Yale) by a combined score of 104-38.

Penn then plays the rest of its season against Ivy opponents, taking on Columbia at home on Oct. 18 and Yale in New Haven on Oct. 25.

This year's homecoming game will come against Brown, which beat Penn, 27-0, last season to begin the Quakers' four-game losing streak to end the season.

Penn follows that up with a trip to Princeton to face the Tigers before returning home for its final game at Franklin Field against Harvard.

The season concludes up in Ithaca, N.Y., as the Red and Blue play Cornell on Nov. 22.

Penn's annual Spring Game is on April 5 this year. The Quakers will have to address multiple holes in their roster, as graduating seniors will leave Penn with question marks at quarterback, offensive line and defensive back.

After the Buzzer: February 24th

Sports Editor Ian Wenik and I discuss the past weekend for Penn men's and women's basketball after both squads split matchups with Harvard and Dartmouth.