The Dartmouth women's basketball team continues its quest for the Ivy League title this weekend, as it travels to Yale and Brown. The Big Green are currently tied for first place in the League with Harvard, with a record of 4-1 (7-9 overall).
The Bulldogs are coming off an unsuccessful weekend, losing to both the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton. Yale's record is now 2-4 in the Ivy League.
But opponents should not overlook Yale's start player, senior forward Mary Kalich, who is a definite offensive threat.
Co-Captain Brandi Jones '95 said, "This week at practice we've been focusing specifically on Yale, because so many of their plays are designated for Kalich. Yale plays a pressure and denial defense, so we've also been focusing on how we'll respond to them offensively."
The Big Green faceoff against Brown on Saturday night in a, contest anticipated since last March, when Brown defeated Dartmouth in a playoff game that determined the Ivy League champion and the Ivy League representative to the NCAA tournament. The Bears lost to Penn and Princeton last weekend, shifting their record to 3-2 in the League.
"Whereas Yale plays a tough man-to-man defense, Brown plays a lot of zone," Jen Stamp '96 said. "Brown also has a lot of height so our defense has to be strong."
Does the team still hold a grudge from last year?
Jones insists not. "Holding grudges usually affects the wrong people anyway. To be honest, this year Brown is not our only threat. Everyone is playing well on our team, and that is what counts."
Dartmouth hopes to continue the winning streak it began last weekend, when it defeated Cornell in overtime on Friday, 66-60, and crushed Columbia Saturday, 68-23.
Betsy Gilmore earned a place on the Ivy League Honor Roll for her outstanding performance in Dartmouth's past three games.
She racked up a total of 20 points, 14 rebounds, 25 steals and 17 assists.
On the road, Dartmouth hopes to clinch these two Ivy games and improve its record. "The race is wide open this year, and the League is very competitive," Jones said. "As far as the Ivy title goes, it could belong to any team. We need to focus on our strengths and stay alert at all times."
"We're taking one game at a time," Stamp said. "It's tough to play on the road but we plan to make every game count."
