The Big Green will assay for their shot at the Ivy League title this weekend when they take on league-leading Penn and stingy Princeton in a pair of tough road games.
To have a shot at the elusive Ivy crown, Dartmouth needs to win both games. Penn is currently 7-0 in the league and has won 36 consecutive Ivy League games. Princeton, meanwhile, is staying afloat with a 4-3 Ivy mark, but with Penn's Ivy dominance, the Tigers are already out of the running.
Complicating Dartmouth's already daunting task is the prospect of playing these teams on their home courts. Traditionally both Penn and Princeton have not been considered good hosts, sending away most comers empty-handed.
Fortunately for the Big Green, the Quakers are on a downturn, having lost their last game after winning four in a row. Intra-city rival Temple beat the Quakers on Tuesday, 59-56, giving Dartmouth fans hope for Friday's showdown.
To add to the "pro" side of the Dartmouth ledger, the Big Green have been sizzling as of late, riding a four-game winning streak, with an average victory margin of 12.3 points in that span. Sea Lonergan '97 was named the Ivy League's Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, averaging 22.3 points per game in that span. Lonergan leads the League with a 19.3 average in Ivy play going into the weekend.
But the Big Green will need strong performances on both offense and defense from the multitude of players who have stepped up in the last two weeks to win the games. Kenny Mitchell '97 notched the game-winning steal Saturday against Brown and provided the team with sorely-needed outside shooting.
Brian Gilpin '97 has been tearing it up inside, averaging six blocks per game over the last five games, and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the paint. Gilpin has also developed offensively, scoring at a more consistent clip for the Big Green.
To record two "W's" this weekend, Jacob Capps '96 will have to connect on some long threes to breathe fire into his team, while Dartmouth will look to captain Jamie Halligan '95 to supply the team with leadership and timely scoring.
Since the Big Green have already played Penn and Princeton, they should have an insight into what they must do in order to win. The last time out against Penn, sharpshooter Scott Kegler erupted for 26 points, mostly from behind the arc. The Big Green will have to do a better job denying him the time to set up for open three-pointers. But the key to beating Penn may lie with Quaker center Eric Moore. Moore has fouled out three times this season, and Penn has lost each of those games. By comparison, Penn has only lost one other game this season to powerhouse UMass.
Yet Penn is multifaceted and the Big Green have to shut down Penn's All-Ivy guards Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney in order to win. Earlier this season, Coach Dave Faucher said that Maloney's stats were an effective barometer of Penn's play.
As for Princeton, the Big Green seem to have them figured out. In a 64-56 win on Jan. 7, the Dartmouth defense disrupted Princeton's ideal of balanced scoring, stifling Princeton's offensive production from all but the power forward and center positions. With ineffectual performances from his teammates, center Rick Hielscher was "forced" to score 34 points. Princeton Coach Pete Carril was disgusted, stating that no Princeton team should ever have to rely so much on one player.
With similarly stingy defense, the Big Green should pull off a similar victory on Saturday. However, without a prerequisite victory tonight, the Big Green will likely have to wait till next year. A Penn win would give the Quakers an almost insurmountable two-and-half game lead, with six left to go.