Basketball: Both teams aim for sweep of Quakers

The men’s and women’s basketball teams will have a doubleheader against Penn tonight in Jadwin Gymnasium. The women’s team (25-2 overall, 13-0 Ivy League) is riding a 20-game win streak into Tuesday and has sealed up the 2010 Ivy League title. The team also managed to get into the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history. While the men’s team (19-8, 9-3) is currently on a much more modest three-game win streak, this game has a lot of significance for it as well.

It will be the last home game and Senior Day for both teams. Each team will honor its seniors before the game. The night will be emotional and action-packed as the seniors bid their final farewell before their home fans.

“My experience playing for Princeton has been an incredible and unforgettable one,” senior center and co-captain Cheryl Stevens said. “Over the past four years, I have watched the program transform entirely. If you look up at the banners that are hanging in Jadwin, you see the rich history of the men’s program. Since my freshman year, I have dreamed of getting a banner for the women’s team up there, and to finally be doing that — and to have accomplished it with 11 of my best friends — is a pretty incredible feeling.”

The women’s team will get to see one of the fruits of its labor tonight, with the Ivy League championship trophy on display in Jadwin. The game will showcase the talent of the Princeton squad, since it is playing a team that is theoretically much weaker. Penn’s women’s basketball team (2-25, 1-12) lost 70-39 in its previous match with Princeton this season. The leadership and abilities of the two Princeton seniors should be on full display.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better season,” senior guard and co-captain Tani Brown said. “We’ve surpassed all types of records and distinguished ourselves in all sorts of ways, but it’s all because of the hard work we put in before and during the season. It’s incredible to see it all pay off.”

While the two captains haven’t put up the biggest stats this season, it’s the intangibles that make them an incredibly valuable part of the team. Wisdom and experience go a long way.

“I would offer two pieces of advice to the underclassmen,” Stevens said. “First, stick with it no matter what. It is inevitable that rough patches will come along — either for you as an individual player or as a team or both — but as long as you stick with it and put in the necessary work, things will work out. They always do. Second, whatever it is that you are doing, do it to your full ability. Whether it’s playing defense or cheering from the sideline, you might as well maximize your contribution.”

The men’s team will be honoring four seniors at its game: center Pawel Buczak, center Zach Finley, forward Nick Lake and guard Marcus Schroeder. Each senior has contributed in his own unique way. Buczak was the only player to start every game last season, Finley has played more total games in his career than any other Tiger, Schroeder is currently in the top five in total career steals and assists for Princeton’s history, and Lake has been co-captain for two years straight.

Coming off big wins against Harvard and Dartmouth, Princeton will look to secure second place in the Ivy League standings. The Tigers should also be able to take care of business against Penn (6-21, 5-8), as they won their previous away game in February against Penn 58-51.

The men’s The men’s team is looking to get to 20 wins for the first time since the 2004 season, and if both teams win, they will break the record for the number of combined Ivy League wins in school history.