In a nail biter at the Palestra, Penn’s men’s basketball team withstood a furious Red Hawk’s rally to notch their first Big 5 win of the season. VIDEO: Highlights from the game

Now, a year later, that same St. Joseph’s team will return to the Palestra on Saturday. However, much has changed for both teams.

After having served as an assistant at college basketball powerhouse Connecticut for 14 years, Temple’s Tonya Cardoza has accrued a wealth of coaching experience.

For most, Jan. 19 was an ordinary Thursday. For the Penn’s men’s squash team, however, it held so much promise since the season began in November. And it ended in sheer disappointment.

Marveling at the inside of the self-proclaimed ‘Cathedral of College Basketball,’ I was rudely awakened from my daydream when my red-and-black plaid Washington Nationals cap was roughly flipped off my head.

Freshman Luona Wang and Wendy Zhao attended Vestavia Hills High School in Alabama and have fenced together for ten years.

These days, the Penn band, Quaker Girls and cheerleaders form the majority of the student contingent at many home games.

According to his Twitter bio, former Penn basketball player Justin Reilly is a “Wharton Grad. Entrepreneur. Poet. Activist. Writer. Retired D1 Athlete.”

Although Penn has a slim chance to win the Ivy League, some Quakers’ grapplers are having great individual seasons.

Thursday, Penn faces another challenge when No. 17 Franklin & Marshall visits Ringe Courts for a midweek tilt in a match in which the Quakers will look to build confidence.

College freshman and New Orleans native Henry Brooks lost everything to Hurricane Katrina. His life, education and ability to play the game he loves are blessings that he does not take for granted.

Brandt and Barreiro become the fourth and fifth Quakers to be taken in an MLS Draft.

The Quakers dropped their fifth straight as star guard Alyssa Baron goes scoreless for the first time in her collegiate career.

Too many times this year, the Quakers have been on the brink of victory but have fallen just short. But against the Big Red — finally — Penn was firing on all cylinders.

Despite the Quakers’ best defensive effort this year they dropped their fourth straight game at Big 5 rival St. Joseph’s, 42-34.

No. 1 Harvard denied the No. 3 Quakers’ upset bid Saturday in Boston, winning 7-2. On Sunday, Penn regrouped and returned to its winning ways, sweeping No. 8 Dartmouth, 9-0.

The Penn gymnastics team is starting its season on a high note, finishing third at the Lindsey Ferris Invitational Sunday in Washington, D.C.