Villanova's Pavilion only seats 6,500 people - compared to the Palestra's 9,821 - and the Penn Band nearly found itself in the unlucky 3,300 or so. But thanks to a long-standing tweak in Villanova's policy concerning visiting bands, the Band will be playing at the men's basketball game in Villanova, Pa.

The calendar may read November, but the Penn wrestling team might think it's March when it sends its varsity squad to the Las Vegas Invitational, held tomorrow and Saturday. This 48-team national tournament includes No. 7 Missouri, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 10 Michigan, No.

EASTON, Pa., Nov. 28 - How quickly a lead can come and go in college basketball. After a hard-fought first half that saw the Quakers head into the locker room down five, they came out strong after the break. Penn clawed back and took a one-point advantage with 12:09 to go.

Clinging to a three-point lead with 19 seconds left, there was no doubt which player Penn would lean on to put the game away. Junior forward Carrie Biemer calmly nailed a three-pointer from the top of the key to effectively end the game as the Quakers finished off a 66-58 victory over the Broncs (3-3).

No more afternoon practices. No more Saturday games. No more road trips, no more victories and no more losses. No more football. You likely won't see this year's graduating seniors in the NFL, so with the close of their Penn careers comes the close of their football careers.

The Penn men's and women's swim team will face off against unfamiliar faces this weekend at the second annual Kenyon Invitational. A change from the usual Ivy competition, the Quakers will compete against powerhouses like Kenyon and Kansas. Because the Invitational is scheduled the same way as the Ivy League Championships, with the preliminary events in the morning and finals in the afternoon, it gives both teams a good opportunity to prepare for the championships at the end of the season.

EASTON, Pa., Nov. 28 - The last time Penn and Lafayette met, the Quakers hit the century mark. Satiated students went to bed with cheesesteaks in their stomachs. Not last night, when the return game was played some 70 miles from Abner's. There would be no cheesesteaks, no hundred points, and certainly no win.

Lafayette lives and dies by the three. For a Penn team that has struggled defending the long ball thus far, that could spell trouble. The Leopards (3-2) have made ten or more three-pointers in four out of five games this season, and they will get another chance to tonight when the Quakers (2-4) visit.

Even when Ron Berkowsky screws up, he wins. The senior fencer still remembers - with a twinge of embarrassment - a miscue during a 2005 championship match. His hand (with a foil in it) collided with his opponent's head. The opponent stopped, took off his mask and started spitting blood.

Go ahead, pick a sword-fight with Penn's fencing team. They dare you. All jokes aside, this season should be another strong one for the men's and women's teams. Coach Dave Micahnik has never had a losing season in his 33 years coaching both teams, and his 34th season shouldn't be any different.

Ireland is famous for a few things: potatoes, U2, soccer, beer, and the drunken brawls and all-around hooliganism that usually ensues after the latter two. Basketball is not one of those traditional Irish pastimes. But Paul Cummins was able to parlay his skills into a scholarship to an American high school and a successful collegiate career.

The Rider women's basketball team compiled a dismal 2-28 record last year, including a 77-65 home loss to Penn. But the Quakers are catching the Broncs at the wrong time. Despite very little turnover on the roster, they have already surpassed last year's win total with a 3-2 start under new coach Lynn Milligan, including a 76-74 victory over Central Florida in their last game.

After stressing about the way his team has played the past week, maybe coach Pat Knapp can finally relax. "It's a big difference a week makes," Knapp said. The women's basketball team beat what sophomore guard Sarah Bucar called "a quality team" in Loyola-Maryland, 70-57 Sunday at the Palestra.

The ties between the Virginia and Penn basketball programs seem endless. One connection includes a then-sophomore forward who made a lot out of his 12.4 minutes per game under Fran Dunphy. That would be Ryan Pettinella - now Virginia's powerful 6-foot-9 starting center.

The 2-4 Quakers didn't have much going for them. They had lost at home to a Howard team allowing 82.3 points per game and their only win came over a Citadel team with only three non-freshmen on the roster. But a couple of second-half spurts helped Penn come away from Thanksgiving break with a respectable 85-100 loss to No. 23 Virginia on Friday night and a 71-67 win over Navy in the third-place game of the Philly Classic on Saturday.

The Penn wrestling team took an easy 26-5 victory over Virginia Tech on Sunday, but don't think the Quakers have it all figured out yet. The team saw deficiencies from the top and bottom positions. With few exceptions, the team had difficulty controlling their opponent from the top, and were incapable of turning their opponents.

After four minutes of basketball, both Penn and Navy had yet to sink a shot. But Brian Grandieri took matters into his own hands, adding a layup four minutes into the contest for the first points of the game. He would go on to lead the Quakers with 18 points and nine rebounds as Penn pulled out a 71-67 win over the Midshipmen Saturday night.