This is the time of year when you suspend all the cynicism. Penn basketball takes on Yale on Friday, a matchup of young squads trying to keep the illusion of relevance up for yet another week. Each team wants a chance at turning a fling into something real.

The Red and Blue fought for every tenth to pull it together and, for the first time this season, surpass the 190 mark placing second behind Temple with 190.550.

With the nationally ranked No. 23 Crimson (8-2, 7-0 Ivy) visiting, the Quakers (6-4, 4-3) had plenty of reason to bring their A-game. In the beginning of the meet, though, it certainly did not show.

Coming off of a sweep in its first Ivy doubleheader of the season, Penn replicated that performance over the weekend with tough victories over Cornell and Columbia.

The Quakers won six bouts en route to a comfortable 23-12 win over the Crimson on Friday before the Bears upset them with some late heroics from the following afternoon, 18-16. The loss was the Quakers’ first to Brown in their last 22 meetings.

After the death of Madison Holleran, fundraisers prompted by friends, family, and strangers emerge from her memory.

It doesn’t matter that Penn basketball swept Cornell and Columbia this weekend. Not yet anyway.

The Red and Blue reversed the results from last weekend two losses, pulling off a sweep that culminated in a Fran Dougherty-fueled win over Columbia on Saturday night.

The Quakers pulled out the ‘W’ against 1-18 Cornell. But if they don’t shore up their defense, they’ll be seeing red for the rest of the season.

With its back up against the wall, Penn basketball responded against floundering Cornell by putting on a dazzling first-half offensive display and hanging on late to beat the Big Red, 90-83.

Despite their lack of immediate success, the Red and Blue still have much of the season left to turn it around. And that turning point might just be Saturday.

For Penn fencing, this weekend is all about Ivy, as the Quakers head to Brown to compete in the Ivy League Championships.

Penn will be facing a Harvard (6-2, 6-0 Ivy) team that is coming off two big wins last weekend, as the Crimson soundly defeated both Yale and Princeton to remain undefeated in the conference.

On Saturday, Penn track and field will take another step toward its final kick at the end of the season, this time at Penn State in the Sykes and Sabock Challenge Cup.

Coming off of last weekend’s dominant wins over Dartmouth and Harvard, Penn (12-5, 2-1 Ivy) is looking to continue its hot streak this weekend as it travels to face Cornell (11-7, 3-1) and Columbia (4-14, 1-3).

Penn is a desperate, beaten team. It’s the 12th round, and one more punch is going to knock the Red and Blue out for good.

After falling to Cornell, 32-(-1), in an embarrassing dual at home on Feb. 1, this weekend’s doubleheader will give the Quakers a chance to pick themselves up and reestablish their confidence on the mats.