Winter Carnival weekend promises to be a dandy for the men's basketball team as it takes on Brown and Yale at home. With a weekend sweep, the Big Green will take sole possession of second place in the Ivies.
After sweeping a doubleheader against Cornell and Columbia last weekend, the men are tied for second with Brown.
However, since Brown will likely beat Harvard on Saturday, the men need to pull off a Carnival sweep to wrest possession of second place from the Bears' grimy paws.
For a Big Green sweep, the men will need more gutty performances from the multitude of individuals who stepped up their play last week, especially against Cornell.
Last weekend, Sea Lonergan '97 contributed an astounding 35 points to spearhead the Big Green's victory. Lonergan, the team's leading offensive threat, is averaging 18.6 points in Ivy play this season. His sweet shot and his deadly three-point shooting make him a fan favorite.
Senior Captain Jamie Halligan also came up big against Cornell, pouring in 18 points of his own and adding 10 rebounds. The captain leads the team by example, guiding them with his courageous drives into tall timber and pinpoint outside shooting.
Dartmouth will need the strong inside/outside play of both Lonergan and Halligan against Brown and Yale.
For offensive balance, the Big Green will need Brian Gilpin '97 to continue his recent domination. On Jan. 31 against Maine, the 7-0 center detonated with his first triple-double ever, scoring 16 points, pulling down 13 rebounds and blocking 10 -- that's right, count 'em, 10 -- shots.
As Dartmouth fans saw in mid-January, Jacob Capps '96 is the team's fire. Capps often sparks the team with three-pointers from deep in the corners with a hand in his
face. If he gets hot from behind the arc this weekend, watch out!
Point guard Kenny Mitchell '97 has been injured as of late, but has still managed to contribute to Dartmouth's recent successes. Against Cornell, Mitchell notched eight rebounds and clinched the game with eight late free throws. The quicksilver point guard is adept at penetrating and dishing out for Dartmouth's trey specialists.
Other key players this weekend will be P.J. Halas '98 and Keith Stanton '97. Halas has seen increased minutes with Mitchell's ankle troubles and has made the most of them, leading the team in assists in each of last weekend's games. He is also a threat to pull the trigger on long-range bombs.
Stanton has also come on strong as of late, especially in rebounding. His impressive leaping ability enabled him to grab 12 rebounds in only 24 minutes of play last weekend.
However, before celebrations can begin, there are a few opposing players the Big Green will have to stop. Brown's Eric Blackiston is the top threat of the weekend, averaging15.3 ppg, 5.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds in Ivy play. Gabe Hunterton of Yale, this year's likely Ivy Rookie of the Year, will also pose problems for the Big Green.
If the men can come out of this weekend unscathed, they will be the proud holders of second place in the Ivies and a shot at first-place Penn.
