Basketball is a game of constantly changing momentum. One moment you may make every shot you throw up, and the next you may not be able to find the basket to save your life. The key is just being able to extend the hot streaks and weather the cold ones the best you can.
Right now the women's basketball team is as hot as can be.
The team stretched its winning streak to four games this weekend, defeating Princeton 58-44 on Friday and then squeaking by Penn 68-63 the following night to up its record to 4-5 overall and a perfect 2-0 in the Ivy League.
It's quite a change from the five game losing streak that opened the women's season.
"This was a great weekend," Coach Chris Wielgus said. "It's important for us to win at home. I'm just delighted with our play and the adjustments we've made, and our players are beginning to know their roles. We're playing much better together."
It's definitely starting to show up on the court. In their first seven games, the Big Green turned the ball over an average of 26 times. This weekend they committed 30 turnovers in two games.
But it was on defense where Dartmouth really shone on Friday night. In the second half, the Big Green pressured the Tigers into shooting a dismal five for 30 and held them to a measly 14 points.
At the other end of the court, the Dartmouth offense exploded in the opening minutes of the second half. Down 30-26 going into the locker room, Dartmouth scored four quick points in the first minute and a half to even the score.
After a Princeton lay-up, the Big Green ran off 15 unanswered points in a six-minute span to send the Tigers reeling. Before Princeton could catch its breath, Dartmouth had shot out to a commanding 45-34 lead, which it would never relinquish.
Ilsa Webeck '94 scored six of her game-high 18 points during the run and dominated in the paint with 17 rebounds and four blocked shots.
Brandi Jones '95 also stood out for Dartmouth, scoring 13 points and adding eight boards, five assists and four steals.
Saturday's game featured a bit more drama than the previous one. Dartmouth held a scant 33-31 halftime advantage that eventually disappeared and turned into a four-point Quaker lead with 2:40 to play.
A Webeck free throw with 2:22 left cut the Penn lead to 63-60. The aggressive Dartmouth press forced a Quaker turnover, and then Sally Annis '97 canned a three-point shot from deep in the left corner to even the score.
With 40 seconds remaining and the score still deadlocked at 63, Betsy Glimmer '94 fed Wetback inside for a layup that gave the Big Green the lead.
Gilmore then iced the game with a pair of steals and a free throw in the final half minute.
"We played a great game against a very good team," Wielgus said. "Penn plays very smart."
Webeck had another double-double performance for the Big Green, scoring 16 and snatching 12 rebounds, despite some foul trouble. Laurie Stucker '95 stepped in for Webeck and scored eight points in what Wielgus called her best game.
Kira Lawrence '96 had 12 points, many on mid-range jumpers, and eight boards. More importantly, she created several key jump ball opportunities for Dartmouth.
The back court tandem of Annis and Gilmore was once again stellar. Annis made her first two starts of the season this weekend and her steady, composed play was a key in the two victories. She scored nine points and added five assists on Saturday.
Gilmore only scored five, but she never came off the floor as she recorded nine assists and six steals. Gilmore, a 5-8 point guard, also had two blocked shots, including one on Penn's 6-3 center.
"Sally is our glue, and Betsy is the spark," Wielgus said. "Having players like that wins ball games."
