Women's hoops looks to stop six-game slide in Ivies

The last time the women's basketball team faced Brown and Yale in one weekend was a test of resilience.

After succumbing to Brown on Feb. 8, mustering a measly 56 points, the Tigers made an abrupt offensive about-face the following evening in a dramatic 85-80 overtime loss to Yale.

The statistical disparity between the two performances is a testimony to the team's ability to revive itself even after the most disheartening losses.

Against Brown, Princeton committed 24 turnovers and shot only 25 percent from behind the arc. In the second half alone, the team connected on just one three-pointer in seven attempts.

The Bears, on the other hand, looked nothing like a last-place team, as they hit 60 percent of their three-pointers and 46 percent of their total field goals.

The Yale game was a different story.

Princeton almost doubled its three-point average, shooting over 46 percent, while forcing the Elis to commit 15 turnovers. By the end of the game, although Yale was able to grab a five-point lead in the final overtime minutes, the Tigers compiled a grand total of 13 three pointers, compared to the four they had squeezed out the previous evening.

This weekend, Princeton will embark on its last road trip of the season to face these two teams again, Yale on Friday and Brown on Saturday.

These rematches will give the Tigers a chance to prove that the resilience they displayed two weeks ago was not a fluke.

The Elis, with their 5-5 Ivy record, are currently teetering between the fourth and fifth spot in the Ivy League. The other contender is Columbia, which also holds a 5-5 Ivy record but is one win behind Yale overall.

The Tigers, with their 2-7 league record, are in the same vulnerable position as Yale. The only thing keeping Princeton away from last place is its one-game edge over Brown (2-8 Ivy League).

The outcome of this weekend, then, could dramatically rearrange the entire Ivy standings. A loss to Brown will slide the Tigers into last place, and depending on how the Bears fare against Penn on Friday night, a loss to Yale could guarantee the same fate.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

On the other hand, two wins could just as easily propel Princeton over Dartmouth (3-6) and into sixth place.

Since Yale's overtime defeat over the Tigers, the Elis lost 60-51 to Cornell and then went on to pummel Columbia 88-57.

Sophomore Bonnie Smith, who led the team in both scoring (16) and rebounding (9) against Princeton, and junior scoring leader Helene Shutrumpf are Yale's most threatening players.

Although Brown is in last place statistically, and although it lost to Penn, 86-63, following its victory at Jadwin, the Bears are certainly not a team to be overlooked. Last weekend they came within one and two points of beating Columbia and Cornell, respectively. Both games could easily have gone their way.

The Tigers will have to watch out especially for Rada Pavichevich and Nyema Mitchell, who have been Brown's consistent scoring leaders this season. Last time against Princeton, Mitchell scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds – the team-high in both categories.

As basketball season creeps closer and closer to play-off time, these final games will determine which teams make it through the Madness of March.