The Quakers defeated Ivy rivals Brown and Yale on consecutive nights to improve their spotless conference record to 5-0, and they couldn’t have done it without the herculean efforts of Antonio Woods.

A year later, the Red and Blue find themselves getting ready to square off against Princeton on Tuesday for the second time in the season again. But this time, it seems safe to say that the Quakers (15-6, 5-0 Ivy) have found their mental edge.

The upcoming game at Princeton on Tuesday will answer the questions as to whether or not Penn has solidified its unique identity and can take the next step from good to great, but what people can’t put into question as of right now is the Quakers’ surprising dominance across the board.

For the second straight night, Penn took care of business at the Palestra, marching to a 59-50 win over Yale.

The Quakers won twice this weekend by sticking to the gameplan that has worked so well for them in recent years: stingy defense and balanced offense. Penn dominated Brown, 88-55, on Friday, and dispatched Yale the next day, 69-54.

Although the Quakers did not play their best basketball against Brown, they had enough in the tank to improve to 4-0 in Ivy play ahead of Saturday’s huge matchup versus Yale. Here are five takeaways from the thriller at the Palestra:

But in one of the most exciting Penn men’s basketball games in a season full of them, the Quakers came back and then held on late to beat Brown 95-90 in overtime. 

The Quakers (12-5, 3-1 Ivy) used a rapid start to coast the rest of the way, while the Bears (13-5, 1-4) couldn't break through Penn's press and 2-3 zone defense.

The Penn squash program had a rocky start to a long weekend of play, losing both the men’s and women’s matches to Ivy League rival Princeton. 

Penn wrestling travels this weekend to face fellow Ivy League foes Brown and Harvard. On Saturday, Penn will take on both of its foes, at their respective home arenas.

Now, the Quakers must extend those winning ways to New England, where they play Brown in Providence on Friday and then Yale in New Haven on Saturday. 

Penn men’s basketball resumes Ivy League competition this weekend with a doubleheader at the Palestra against Brown and Yale, hoping to maintain its hot play of late.

This year, the goal of two Ivy Championships is very much in reach. With only a week and a half until championship weekend, both the men and the women fencers are confident they can pull off the double. 

It has been five years since 2014 graduate Michael Mills won the men’s sabre competition at the NCAA Fencing Championships. And, five years later, the next chance to carry out Mills’ legacy may be his own cousin.

Three-for-one deals are never bad. That is what fencing fans get whenever they watch a match. Though a first time watcher or casual fan may have trouble noticing the differences, fencing’s three forms — sabre, epee, and foil — are all very nuanced.

Coach Slava Danilov, assistant coach for the men’s and women’s fencing teams, provides a unique spark to the program. Danilov, now in his fourth year with the Quakers, is part of an excellent staff that includes head coach Andy Ma and other assistants Adi Nott and Randall LeMaster. Men’s senior epee and captain Zsombor Garzo described Danilov in one phrase. “Extremely competitive.”

A sense of community, strong brotherhood and sisterhood, and the pride that comes with being a part of something bigger than yourself are all reasons students join groups at Penn. Therefore, it should not be a surprise that student-athletes highlight these reasons to not only justify their involvement with sports, but also their involvement with Greek life.