December can't come soon enough for the women's basketball team. And no, it's not because of Christmas. After going 0-5 in November, a change in the calendar might be just what the doctor ordered. The Quakers start their December schedule tonight at Lafayette (1-5).

There was no hiding the blood that stained the uniforms of Villanova players Reggie Redding and Dante Cunningham in last weekend's Philly Classic championship game against Rhode Island. The red spread so quickly that both were forced to change clothes in the second half.

ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 29 - When Penn's Zack Rosen and Jack Eggleston hoisted up a combined eight shots in the final five minutes of Saturday's 73-63 loss at Albany, it wasn't a case of them being selfish or padding their stats. They looked around and saw nobody willing or able to step up.

By LEIGH SILVER Staff Writer lsilver@dailypennsylvanian.com Diving is in Jeff Cragg's blood. "I've been doing flips off the diving board before I could swim," the freshman said, laughing. "My dad would throw me off." Cragg has been competing since he was five, but his diving roots trace back to before his birth.

The Penn women's basketball team has at least been consistent in one aspect of its play this season: its inconsistency. Looking for their first win of the season on Friday at Mount Saint Mary's, the Quakers held a 30-26 lead after outplaying the Mountaineers in the first half.

Offensive coordinator Bill Schmitz will not return for a third season with the Penn football team. The Athletic Department announced in a statement this afternoon that Schmitz's contract will not be renewed for 2009. "We appreciate his efforts during the last two years, and we wish him the best in his future endeavors," head coach Al Bagnoli said in the statement.

ALBANY, N.Y., Nov. 29 - Down just three points at the half, Penn had reason to be optimistic about the second frame of its Saturday night game at Albany. That was until Great Danes guard Anthony Raffa introduced himself to the Quakers. Nice to meet you, Zack Rosen.

When you're down by 25 at halftime, what ensues will inevitably be prettier than what you've just seen. Penn's 85-73 loss last night to Penn State was no exception. The Quakers took a 25-point deficit down to a 10-point one, and it could have been seven had Zack Rosen's open three not rimmed out.

UPDATED: Nov. 26, 6:45 p.m. Jack Siedlecki announced his retirement as Yale football coach on Wednesday after 12 years at the helm. He will stay with with the school as an assistant athletic director. "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished over 12 years," Siedlecki said in a statement.

Albany was the almost team - the team that, as a No. 16 seed in the 2006 NCAA Tournament, found itself up by 12 with 12 minutes to play against No. 1 Connecticut. The Great Danes would lose their lead within six minutes and eventually fall, 72-59. They became, at least for a few days, a national story and the poster child for overcoming long odds.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- The men's basketball team trailed Albany by just three points at the half but couldn't keep up its strong play, ultimately losing, 73-63. For the second time in as many games, the Quakers were overmatched by their opponent's backcourt. The Great Danes' duo of Anthony Raffa and Tim Ambrose combined for 41 points on 15-for-25 shooting from the field.

By HANNAH GERSTENBLATT Sports Editor-elect hannahgb@dailypennsylvanian.com It seemed as if the women's basketball team's moment had finally come. There was a little over a minute to play against Saint Joseph's, and the Quakers were down by only three, with a chance to shake off their Big 5 demons of seasons past.

The Palestra, like many sports arenas, frequently plays the song "Jump Around" to get the home crowd into the game. But in the Penn men's basketball team's 85-73 home loss to Penn State last night, it looked like the visitor, not the host, had taken the s

By ARI SEIFTER Staff Writer aseifter@dailypennsylvanian.com When the women's basketball team faces Saint Joseph's tonight at the Palestra, recent history will not be on Penn's side. Even though the Quakers (0-3) haven't defeated the Hawks since 2004-05 - and are just 1-32 against them all-time - and none of the players on this year's squad has experienced a Big 5 win, Penn coach Pat Knapp hasn't talked to his team about its past struggles.

For all the Penn students who have ever received Penn State gear as a graduation gift, Quakers basketball can be a source of retribution. Coming into tonight's matchup at the Palestra, Penn holds a commanding 31-12 edge over the school that has plagued its name recognition for so long.

Minutes after the clock had run out and George Mason's soccer team had rushed the field to celebrate, Omid Shokoufandeh still lay on the ground. The rest of the Quakers were shaking hands with their opponents, but Shokoufandeh couldn't get up. The senior did not move from the opposing penalty box - where he had done so much damage this season - and allowed the reality of his final collegiate game to sink in.

The Penn football team was barely past its mandatory 10-minute cool down when the post-mortems began. Al Bagnoli cast the Quakers' fifth straight title-less season as a case study in resolve - a true statement, but an incomplete one. It was also a disappointment, as any year that doesn't end with a ring should be for Penn.