Excuse Penn swimming coach Mike Schnur if he's not exactly thankful for Thanksgiving Break. Junior John Benigno is out of commission after cutting off part of his finger while slicing bread, and several other swimmers are battling lingering colds. But the Quakers (1-2) will have to persevere despite those hardships, as this weekend brings one of the most demanding meets of their season.

The semiannual Fitness Readiness Test at the Naval Academy mandates a minimum of 40 push-ups in two minutes, 65 sit-ups in two minutes and a 1.5 mile run under ten and a half minutes. It's no surprise, then, that the men's squash team from Annapolis, Md., has been keeping in shape.

Penn coach Glen Miller said that the No. 1 culprit in Penn's 69-47 loss to Villanova Tuesday night was poor shooting by the Quakers. A close second were the offensive rebounds that made the Wildcats look as if they were sporting metal jerseys that attracted the seemingly magnetized basketballs coming off of the rim.

Penn sophomore Erin Power jumped on the loose ball with seven seconds left. With Penn up by one, she called a timeout thinking that the Quakers had secured a victory over Lafayette. Unfortunately, the Quakers had no timeouts remaining. That devastating error allowed Lafayette senior Cristin Zavocki to shoot two technical foul shots for a chance to put the Leopards ahead.

Jay Wright is starting to like this Palestra joint. "I always take the guys for a tour," said the Villanova coach. "They said, 'Coach we did this last year.' I said, 'We're gonna do it anyway because I like it.'" You might, too, after six straight triumphs over the custodians of College B

There was an eerie feeling last night at the Palestra, even before the game tipped off. Scanning the arena from press row, I saw completely empty sections in the second tier of the historic gym. Penn's cheerleaders moved their seats from the baseline to the front rows of the student section to fill the rows of sparsely-filled bleachers behind the basket.

By ANDREW SCURRIA Senior Staff Writer scurria@dailypennsylvanian.com Andreas Schreiber played last night for the first time this year after spending weeks recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained in preseason practice. Coach Glen Miller had kept the injury, and Schreiber's status, murky.

Offensive coordinator Bill Schmitz will not return for a third season with the Penn football team. The Athletic Department announced in a statement this afternoon that Schmitz's contract will not be renewed for 2009. "We appreciate his efforts during the last two years, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors," head coach Al Bagnoli said in the statement.

Randy Wittman probably expected to see his kid at Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Ind. The former Indiana All-American and current coach of the NBA's Minnesota Timberwolves got his wish on Sunday - only his son was wearing Cornell red, not Hoosiers' cream and crimson.

December can't come soon enough for the women's basketball team. And no, it's not because of Christmas. After going 0-5 in November, a change in the calendar might be just what the doctor ordered. The Quakers start their December schedule tonight at Lafayette (1-5).

There was no hiding the blood that stained the uniforms of Villanova players Reggie Redding and Dante Cunningham in last weekend's Philly Classic championship game against Rhode Island. The red spread so quickly that both were forced to change clothes in the second half.

ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 29 - When Penn's Zack Rosen and Jack Eggleston hoisted up a combined eight shots in the final five minutes of Saturday's 73-63 loss at Albany, it wasn't a case of them being selfish or padding their stats. They looked around and saw nobody willing or able to step up.

By LEIGH SILVER Staff Writer lsilver@dailypennsylvanian.com Diving is in Jeff Cragg's blood. "I've been doing flips off the diving board before I could swim," the freshman said, laughing. "My dad would throw me off." Cragg has been competing since he was five, but his diving roots trace back to before his birth.

The Penn women's basketball team has at least been consistent in one aspect of its play this season: its inconsistency. Looking for their first win of the season on Friday at Mount Saint Mary's, the Quakers held a 30-26 lead after outplaying the Mountaineers in the first half.

Offensive coordinator Bill Schmitz will not return for a third season with the Penn football team. The Athletic Department announced in a statement this afternoon that Schmitz's contract will not be renewed for 2009. "We appreciate his efforts during the last two years, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors," head coach Al Bagnoli said in the statement.

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.