EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Congratulations are in order for Ibrahim Jaaber, who scored a career-high 32 points in Penn's loss to Seton Hall on Saturday. As notable of an accomplishment as that is, it never should have been achieved. Not even close. If you ask Penn coach Glen Miller, he will tell you, "We don't have trouble scoring points, we share the ball.

The holidays are right around the corner, and the Penn basketball team certainly looked like it started the winter vacation early in its loss to Fordham on Saturday. Perhaps the Quakers have been pulling too many all-nighters as the semester winds down, but the sharp Rams squad left no room for error and easily exploited Penn's lackadaisical play.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Five minutes into the game, Penn was making No. 2 North Carolina's defense look like Swiss cheese. The Quakers' perimeter offense, typically with four players outside the three-point line and one at the high post, used motion and sharp cuts to the basket to open up a 15-8 lead over the Tar Heels at the Smith Center.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-Penn came out against North Carolina firing, appearing more than prepared to compete against the No. 2 team looking for its tenth consecutive win. But the Quakers were unable to keep up with the explosive North Carolina squad and fell to the Tar Heels, 102-64.

Though the score did not suggest it, its meet against Columbia was by far the men's swimming team's closest of the year. Columbia defeated Penn 177-123 Saturday in New York, in a meet full of close races - most of which did not go the Quakers' way. "It was unbelievable," coach Mike Schnur said.

By David Gurian-Peck Staff Writer dgurianp@sas.upenn.edu Monica Naltner has played in about 40 games at the Palestra, but she still has not played in a true home game. The senior standout will not have to wait much longer. While the Quakers normally do not look beyond the next game on the schedule, Jan.

By Eric Karlan Staff Writer karlan@sas.upenn.edu Playing on the home court doesn't seem to be an advantage for the Penn women's basketball team. The Quakers continued their home woes on Sunday, when they fell to American 61-51. This was their fourth loss out of four games at the Palestra this season.

After a tough loss, it can't be easy to wait 11 days to play again. It is even harder to get rid of that sour taste against a top-5 team. But that is the tall order the Penn Quakers face after a 94-85 loss to Seton Hall last week. Their method? A trip down to Tobacco Road to square off against No.

Through the first half last night, it looked as if the Quakers' inside game hadn't changed since it got beat up by Fordham for a 38-25 rebounding edge in a loss last game. On defense, Illinois-Chicago's big frontcourt manhandled the Quakers for 12 offensive rebounds against Penn's nine in the first 20 minutes.

Brian Grandieri has not built a reputation as a superstar. His knack for being in the right place at the right time has garnered far more attention than his occasional scoring outbursts. And the junior has been injured with an Achilles problem since last week, substituting a protective boot for shoes and forgoing practice until Monday.

Fordham's offense was in a rut before Saturday. The Rams were shooting only 39 percent from the field and 31 percent from three-point range. But all they needed was a visit to the Palestra. Marcus Stout knocked down five threes and Brenton Butler hit three as the Rams drained 12-of-21 from behind the arc en route to a 77-60 win over Penn.

Penn will have to wait almost a full two weeks to try and get rid of the sour taste in its mouth, but that might be easier said than done. After being outclassed by Fordham on Saturday, the Quakers have a 12-day break for final exams before they have a chance to redeem themselves.

ELON, N.C. - Trailing late in the game, with their leading scorer on the bench, and a free throw percentage well under 60 percent, Penn seemed on the verge of being upset by 3-9 Elon. But Ibrahim Jaaber, without the assistance of forward Mark Zoller who fouled out with three and a half minutes remaining, helped guide Penn to a 66-64 win with two big plays on the offensive side of the floor that secured the slim lead for Penn.

The events were not scored. Not all of the runners participated. The meet did not count. So the question is, why does anyone care? In reality, not many people do, aside from the team and the coaching staff themselves. However, the New Year Invitational, held in Princeton, N.

For the second year in a row, Penn will head to the Research Triangle to take on a top-5 Atlantic Coast Conference opponent. After losing at then-No. 1 Duke a year ago, the Quakers will find themselves 10 miles up Tobacco Road in Chapel Hill, N.C., where they will face No.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.-Penn coach Glen Miller knew two important things before his team played No. 2 North Carolina Wednesday night. First, his team would have to play 40 minutes of good basketball to have a shot; and second, the Quakers would need to play excellent transition defense against the Tar Heels' explosive attack.

Revenge is a dish best served in cold pool water, as the Penn women's swim team found out Friday. The Quakers avenged last year's five-point loss to chief rival Columbia with a 187.5-112.5 victory in their home opener at Sheerr Pool. Last year's meet came down to the final event, the 200-yard freestyle relay, with Columbia winning by three-hundreths of a second.