ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 29 - Down just three points at the half, Penn had reason to be optimistic about the second frame of its Saturday night game at Albany. That was until Great Danes guard Anthony Raffa introduced himself to the Quakers. Nice to meet you, Zack Rosen.

When you're down by 25 at halftime, what ensues will inevitably be prettier than what you've just seen. Penn's 85-73 loss last night to Penn State was no exception. The Quakers took a 25-point deficit down to a 10-point one, and it could have been seven had Zack Rosen's open three not rimmed out.

UPDATED: Nov. 26, 6:45 p.m. Jack Siedlecki announced his retirement as Yale football coach on Wednesday after 12 years at the helm. He will stay with with the school as an assistant athletic director. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over 12 years," Siedlecki said in a statement.

Albany was the almost team - the team that, as a No. 16 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, found itself up by 12 with 12 minutes to play against No. 1 Connecticut. The Great Danes would lose their lead within six minutes and eventually fall, 72-59. They became, at least for a few days, a national story and the poster child for overcoming long odds.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The men's basketball team trailed Albany by just three points at the half but couldn't keep up its strong play, ultimately losing, 73-63. For the second time in as many games, the Quakers were overmatched by their opponent's backcourt. The Great Danes' duo of Anthony Raffa and Tim Ambrose combined for 41 points on 15-for-25 shooting from the field.

By HANNAH GERSTENBLATT Sports Editor-elect hannahgb@dailypennsylvanian.com It seemed as if the women's basketball team's moment had finally come. There was a little over a minute to play against Saint Joseph's, and the Quakers were down by only three, with a chance to shake off their Big 5 demons of seasons past.

The Palestra, like many sports arenas, frequently plays the song "Jump Around" to get the home crowd into the game. But in the Penn men's basketball team's 85-73 home loss to Penn State last night, it looked like the visitor, not the host, had taken the s

By ARI SEIFTER Staff Writer aseifter@dailypennsylvanian.com When the women's basketball team faces Saint Joseph's tonight at the Palestra, recent history will not be on Penn's side. Even though the Quakers (0-3) haven't defeated the Hawks since 2004-05 - and are just 1-32 against them all-time - and none of the players on this year's squad has experienced a Big 5 win, Penn coach Pat Knapp hasn't talked to his team about its past struggles.

For all the Penn students who have ever received Penn State gear as a graduation gift, Quakers basketball can be a source of retribution. Coming into tonight's matchup at the Palestra, Penn holds a commanding 31-12 edge over the school that has plagued its name recognition for so long.

Minutes after the clock had run out and George Mason's soccer team had rushed the field to celebrate, Omid Shokoufandeh still lay on the ground. The rest of the Quakers were shaking hands with their opponents, but Shokoufandeh couldn't get up. The senior did not move from the opposing penalty box - where he had done so much damage this season - and allowed the reality of his final collegiate game to sink in.

The Penn football team was barely past its mandatory 10-minute cool down when the post-mortems began. Al Bagnoli cast the Quakers' fifth straight title-less season as a case study in resolve - a true statement, but an incomplete one. It was also a disappointment, as any year that doesn't end with a ring should be for Penn.

The season's first three games have provided three fundamental takeaways: UNC without Hansbrough is still UNC, Drexel coach Bruiser Flint should have his own reality show and the Red and Blue still haven't found that one, central voice to lead their young squad.

ITHACA, N.Y. - To the names Irvin, Olson and Garton, add McNally. The Penn quarterback position seems to have an injury hex on it, but Brendan McNally stepped into the role on Saturday and avoided disaster. McNally spelled the injured sophomore starter Keiffer Garton in the first quarter of Penn's 23-6 victory over Cornell and hardly missed a beat, even if he did resemble a tailback more than a signal caller.

A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. In fact, it may even have helped the Penn women's swimming team this past weekend. In the 200-yard freestyle relay of the Quakers' tri-meet on Friday against Cornell and Princeton, coach Mike Schnur initiated a competition between the freshman class and their upperclassman teammates.

ITHACA, N.Y. - So this is how it ends, with a sober and shivering postgame celebration and no Ivy League trophy to hoist. But the Quakers closed out their 2008 campaign with a win to be proud of on Saturday, 23-6 over Cornell in 10-degree weather and swirling wind.

By ELI COHEN Staff Writer coheneli@dailypennsylvanian.com In sports, 'back-to-back-to-back' is usually a good thing. Except when the three events are two dual meets and an all-day tournament over just two days. In return for making it through grueling preseason practices and weight lifting sessions, Penn wrestling coach Rob Eiter rewarded his team with a smorgasbord of competition on which to feast.

Tyler Bernardini, in his short time at Penn, has made a habit of carrying the Quakers on his back. He's been the subject of heavy praise and, for opposing coaches, the cause of much frustration. But on Saturday night, during the Red and Blue's 83-62 win over Monmouth at the Palestra, the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year took that frustration to a whole new level.