Women's basketball will begin a tough road trip this weekend against Harvard (17-7 overall, 9-2 Ivy League) and Dartmouth (14-9, 10-1) to finish its season. Dartmouth and Harvard are each vying for a spot in the NCAA tournament; Princeton will be the deciding factor.
"In this situation, we would be a spoiler," head coach Richard Barron said.
Last weekend, the Tigers split a pair of home games. In one of their best games of the season, they defeated Columbia on Friday night, only to suffer a disappointing loss to Cornell the following night. Princeton looks to end the season on a high note and split its season series with the Big Green and Crimson. Both squads defeated Princeton at home the first time they met this season.
Junior center Becky Brown is optimistic about this weekend's road trip, since there is no pressure in the games, and it is a chance to play good basketball and be aggressive.
"I think that what we're looking for is to build for next year," Brown said.
The Tigers first face Harvard on Friday night in Cambridge, Mass., a tough matchup for the Tigers. Harvard's 3-2 zone defense — a rare strategy, as most teams employ a 2-3 zone or man-to-man defense — will make it difficult for the Tigers to get good shots and defend against fast breaks. The Crimson's defense allows it to be very aggressive off rebounds and get quick scores.
Harvard center Reka Cserny, the team's captain and first team All-Ivy performer, will perhaps be the toughest individual obstacle to overcome.
"She's the most talented player in the league; she's so versatile," Baron added. Luckily for the Tigers, and the league, she graduates this year.
Cserny is coming off a big game against Brown last weekend, where she posted her eighth double-double of the season with 31 points and 13 rebounds, leading the Crimson to a crucial win over the Bears that pulled them to within one game of Dartmouth.
If the Tigers are able to get into the paint and create good shot opportunities from inside, they should be able to prevent the Crimson's fast-breaks off long rebounds. On the other side of the court, if the Tigers can settle into its defense to prevent shots and take Harvard out of their offensive rhythym, the Tigers will be very competitive in the game.
"Our practices have been geared to attacking their defense," junior forward Katy O'Brien said. "We want to have all the weapons ready to go at the beginning of the game. Next season starts now. How we finish shows how we come out next year."
Big Green rolling
On Saturday night, the Tigers take on Dartmouth in Hanover, N.H., for their final game of the season. Earlier this season, the Tigers lost, 69-55, to Dartmouth.
Dartmouth will be playing to hold onto its first-place spot in the Ivy League and the accompanying berth in the NCAA tournament. The Big Green will need to fend off Harvard once more before the end of the season next week, which could very well be the deciding game if it defeats Princeton this weekend. In addition to Harvard and Princeton, the Big Green will take on Penn to start the weekend.
"They are a better matchup for us [than Harvard is]," Barron said. "They are not deep and can get into foul trouble."
After great improvement this year, Barron looks forward to a strong season next year. The entire team will be back except for senior guard-forward Kristin Lynch, and Barron expects a strong incoming class. The team already has recorded more wins this season than last season, and many of its losses have come in close games.
"This year has had its peaks and valleys, and we endured a lot of tough injuries," Barron said. "But all signs are positive, and there are a lot of things to be optimistic about."
The Tigers won't be claiming the Ivy League crown this year, but victories over Harvard and Dartmouth would prove that doing so in the near future is possible.
"Winning a title is not a completely unattainable goal," Brown said, "and that is something we learned this year."
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