As we get deeper into the second semester, we’ve started to get a firm grasp on the true makeup of Penn’s winter sports teams. Though there unquestionably is still time for certain teams to flip the script, we’ve already seen enough from most squads to judge whether they’re contenders or pretenders at this point. With that said, our sports editors take to the roundtable to debate: which Penn winter team has exceeded expectations the most so far:

From the Quakers' perspective: trap avoided. In a game that was close for a total of five minutes, Penn women’s basketball dispatched Stevens Tech 89-43.

In its final non-conference game of the season, Penn women’s basketball cruised to a 89-43 victory over Stevens Tech, breaking a few team records under coach Mike McLaughlin in the process.

After a string of strong showings to start the season, the Penn women’s gymnastics team took a unexpected, tough loss to West Chester University on Saturday by a score of 193.400 to 189.350. The Quakers came into this meet riding an impressive wave of momentum after a historically great performance against Yale. 

Looks like all the hard work is done. Penn swimming capped off its regular season with dual wins over West Chester last Friday.

The swimming and diving regular season comes to a close this Friday when the Penn men’s and women’s teams travel to West Chester University for a dual meet against the Golden Rams.

Coming off a huge comeback against Yale, Penn women’s gymnastics looks to parlay that momentum against a struggling West Chester squad which has lost its last three meets.

This was a special performance. Brodeur started off the game hot with 14 first half points, but it only got better from there. Simply put, Brodeur dominated down the stretch. He finished the game with a career-high 35 points, including 13 in a row for the Quakers at one point, and also scored the biggest points of the game with two big free throws to put Penn up three with just two seconds left. Brodeur’s 35 are the most in a game for Penn since 1995.

Don’t let the 63-53 scoreline deceive you, the Penn women’s basketball took Temple’s explosive side down to the wire in tonight’s Big 5 finale.

In its final Big 5 tilt of the season, Penn women's basketball just couldn’t keep up with Temple’s size and athleticism, falling by a score of 63-53. The score doesn’t do Penn justice, as the Red and Blue held a lead as late as 4:47 in the fourth quarter. The Quakers (9-6, 0-4 Big 5) finish winless in Big 5 play on the season, failing for the first time in five years to win a game in the mini-conference.

Wednesday evening, Penn men’s basketball made the most of its last matchup against a Big 5 foe, outpacing La Salle, 77-74, on the road.

Losers of four straight, Penn men's basketball knows that as the losses pile up, so does its chances of earning a spot in this year’s inaugural Ivy League Tournament. But not to worry — the Red and Blue travel across town to La Salle Wednesday night with one last chance to iron out the wrinkles before resuming conference play in February.

Needless to say, the local lack of success for Penn basketball has been disappointing, particularly so for a women's team that won the Big 5 as recently as 2015. With these struggles in mind, our sports editors take to the roundtable to debate: Does the Big 5 still matter to Penn basketball?

Penn (9-5, 0-3 Big 5) looks to avoid going winless in the Big 5 as it gets set to take on Temple (15-3, 3-0) on Wednesday. This week represents the final two non-conference games of the year for the Quakers as they take a quick break from the Ivy League, where they are undefeated.

The Monmouth men's basketball bench last year got a lot of press. Here’s one that might deserve more: Penn women’s basketball, a bench whose depth will be tested like never before after a last-minute change to move junior guard Beth Brzozowski into the starting lineup.

Penn women’s basketball’s Lauren Whitlatch is out for the season with a torn ACL.

“There’s no such thing as freshmen anymore.” Regardless of their distinction, his point is clear: Fifteen games into the season, it's high time for this skilled Penn men's basketball class to lose the softening nomenclature.