As much as we try to deny it, the 122nd Board could only be described as "a disaster!" (After all, it is an even-numbered board). Truly, we have been Blatsteined - or "jammed up the ass by three officials," if you will. As such, a certain former DPOSTM writer seems to have notified our regional supervisor that it's time we hand over the reins to the 1-2-3.

The Quakers' Big 5 opener against Villanova was your typical City Series matchup: loud, physical and close to the very end. And once again, the Wildcats came out on top with a 99-89 win at a packed Palestra. A huge factor in 'Nova's win was their flawless free-throw shooting -- a torrid 27-of-29, with the only two misses in the irrelevant final minute.

Senior Mike Nardi is Villanova's lone remnant from an outstanding backcourt that saw three guards jump to the NBA last June. Randy Foye was drafted seventh overall and is now on the Timberwolves, Kyle Lowry was drafted 24th by the Grizzlies, and Allan Ray is now playing for the Celtics.

The Big 5 landscape is changing, but the rivalry between Penn and Villanova is still alive and well.

The security guard said I had to move, so I moved. It was Dec. 4, 2004, my second Big 5 Classic, and after Penn beat La Salle in the opener, my ticket said I still had one more game to watch. CSC Event Staff said otherwise; I had to make room for the Villanova student section to watch the Wildcats play Temple.

Head coach Dave Micahnik of the men's fencing team was fixing a sabre at practice this week. As he used a wrench to curve the blade, he turned and said, "It gives balance." Balance is just the word to describe this year's team. The Quakers have a mix of good young talent and with a host of experienced upperclassmen.

This weekend the Penn men and women's swimming teams will see a break from their normal Ivy League or northeast corridor rivals when they compete in the Kenyon Invitational in Gambier, Ohio, today through Saturday.

These Quakers are no strangers to overcoming adversity. After losing captain Katelyn Sherry to a serious foot injury, the 2005-2006 Penn fencers bounced back to finish with a 10-5 record and a ninth-place finish in the NCAA Championships. This season, the Quakers again find themselves with their backs against the wall.

What do the Three Musketeers and a mid-life semi-crisis have to do with each other? If you're asking Penn fencers Ron Berkowsky and Abby Emerson they provide the impetus to take up fencing. "When I was eight years old, I saw the movie The Three Musketeers and just fell in love with it," said Berkowsky, a junior foilist.

As Penn floundered, Delaware fortified its position in the most recent women's basketball rankings last night, as the Blue Hens left the Palestra with a decisive 73-49 victory.

Tuesday night, Dartmouth was beaten senseless by Kansas, 83-32. And that humiliation was just one of 26 non-conference losses from Ivy League men's basketball teams so far this season. This complete lack of competitiveness against non-Ivy opponents is not only embarrassing, but presents a distinct challenge for the eventual champion when it comes to tournament seeding.

There was more than enough blame to go around last night. Turnovers, fouls and missed shots plagued the Quakers all night long in another blowout loss to Delaware. Yet when it came to success, the spotlight shone brightly on just one person. Of all the Quakers, only tri-captain Monica Naltner elevated her game to the level necessary to beat a team of Delaware's caliber.

These Quakers are no strangers to overcoming adversity. After losing captain Katelyn Sherry to a serious foot injury, the 2005-2006 Penn fencers bounced back to finish with a 10-5 record and a ninth-place finish in the NCAA Championships. This season, the Quakers again find themselves with their backs against the wall.

Brennan Votel's play in his first few games this year raised a question for coach Glen Miller: What if Votel was not the big man of the future for Penn?

It's not quite midterm season in Ivy League basketball, but it is time for a high school classic - the mid-semester progress report. We'll start from the bottom up and see who might be giving Penn a run for its money come conference play. (All stats are before last night's games).

By David bernstein Staff Writer davidkb@sas.upenn.edu Monmouth's game plan was clear: Milk the shot clock, move the ball around and get shooters open. But Penn showed the Hawks that the Princeton offense doesn't work when the game becomes a track meet.

The Quakers used an 8-0 run - including back-to-back layups by Zoller - to open a double-digit lead with 8:52 to play.