By Ilario Huober Sports Editor ihuober@sas.upenn.edu When Ibrahim Jaaber stood up with a noticeable limp after being called for an offensive foul in the closing minutes of Penn's loss to Villanova Saturday, the Palestra faithful held its collective breath.

Only the electric atmosphere in the Palestra made it apparent that Saturday night's match-up between Penn and Villanova was a Big 5 contest. The game did not feature the grind-it-out defense and physical smothering of opportunities that have long characterized Big 5 games.

The Ivy League's distinction of being the only conference in the country without a postseason basketball tournament may be coming to an end.

The year was 1971. The Baltimore Colts were champions of Super Bowl V. Joe Frazier was heavyweight champion after winning the first of three epic fights against Muhammad Ali. The Penn men's basketball team was 28-1 and ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Cornell learned this weekend that young talent could provide the team with a boost, but that its unseasoned core is not yet prepared to deliver a tournament championship. Looking for a chance to win its first in-season tournament since 1990, Cornell needed a catalyst in the semifinals of the William & Mary Tip-off Classic.

With 11:22 remaining in Sunday's game, Villanova star forward Jackie Adamshick received a pass from teammate Tia Grant and promptly drained a jumper. The Palestra scoreboard tacked on two more points, showing a 48-34 score - the Wildcats' largest lead over the Quakers of the afternoon.

When you've listened to as many coaches as I have tell you how much respect they have for every opponent, you begin to distinguish the sincere from the phony. And unlike the coach who sings the praises of a Dartmouth team, Villanova head coach Jay Wright was dead serious.

Last time Frank Elegar and Chaz Crawford played at the Palestra, it wasn't pretty. Drexel's frontcourt duo, greatly outplayed by Penn's Mark Zoller and Steve Danley, was held to a combined 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting in the Dragons' loss. So in their latest game in the Palestra, Elegar and Crawford decided to make up for it.

Saturday night's 99-89 loss to Villanova was the first Big 5 experience for Penn coach Glen Miller. Afterward, Miller showed his unfamiliarity with the nature of Big 5 action. "I'm awfully ticked off when we lose a game," Miller said. Responding to a question about not dwelling on Big 5 games, Miller said, "the game is just like any game.

The Quakers may be the only people in history to be proud of their actions after a weekend in Vegas. An impressive third-place finish at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational was another milestone for the wrestling team. During the competition, the No. 15 Quakers benefited from solid performances by key grapplers and a breakout performance from senior Matt Eveleth.

The start of one chapter was the ending of another for the Penn women's fencing team. While the Quakers opened up their season last Saturday at Weightman Gym against Drew and Sacred Heart, Penn senior Jackie Schramm participated in her final meet with the Red and Blue.

With Penn and Villanova matched up more evenly than the cross-town rivals had been in years, this game was everything you could ask of a Big 5 contest. The result, though, spelled little but disappointment for the Quakers

Joey Rhoads had what it took to end her team's frustration against Villanova, but even that wasn't enough. Villanova downed Penn 57-50 yesterday afternoon at the Palestra. "When you lose by such a close margin, you think about all the little things you could have done throughout the game," the senior tri-captain said.

One team looked like the experienced one Saturday night, and it wasn't the experienced one. While Villanova freshman Scottie Reynolds and sophomore reserve Shane Clark shone under pressure, the Quakers hardly played the role of the Big 5's most seasoned squad.

It was the meet they were looking forward to all semester, and both the Penn men's and women's swim teams lived up to expectations. The men's team bested four opponents to take the Kenyon Invitational title while the women took second at the championship format meet in Gambier, Ohio.

In only the second match of the season, the men and women's squash teams have proven that they belong among the best in the nation.

A Brown radio broadcast has reported that All-Ivy guard Keenan Jeppesen quit the team right before its win over Quinnipiac. In addition, Basketball-U.com said that he has also left the school. Over the summer, Jeppesen had applied for transfer admission to Penn, but was denied.