The rainy weather that the men's basketball team will endure during this weekend's road trip to Princeton and Penn serves as a perfect metaphor for the Big Green's schedule.
The weekend's contests will be stormy and trying, but as soon as the storm is over and the clouds lift, the clearing skies will also leave a clear view of the race for the Ivy League title heading into the final weekend of play.
For Dartmouth to be a part of that picture, the task is simple -- it must sweep both Penn and Princeton. The Big Green currently sit in third place in the Ivy League, with a league record of 7-3, 14-8 overall. Unlike two weeks ago, they can't settle for a split against the Ivy's two toughest opponents, for only two victories will keep the Big Green's hopes of a league title alive.
Forget the fact that Dartmouth played both teams tough at home two weeks ago, pulling out a last second victory over Penn to end their 48-game win streak before falling the next night in the second half to a stingy Princeton defense.
Winning at Princeton's Jadwin Gym and Penn's Palestra, the two toughest arenas in the Ivy League to get a victory, changes the scenario, even given the Big Green's 4-1 league road record this season. Both Penn and Princeton have lost only once at home this year, although on a positive note for the Big Green, Penn's loss, their first Ivy League loss at home in the last five years, came last week at home to Yale.
Furthermore, to add to a nearly impossible mission, Coach Dave Faucher has never notched a victory on this road trip.
Dartmouth battles Tigers
The Big Green's biggest challenge of the year will come tonight at Princeton. The league-leading Tigers are red hot, having won eight straight league games after opening the season with a two point loss to Penn at home.
According to the RPI rankings, a system used by the NCAA to evaluate teams for the tournament, Princeton is the highest ranked Ivy League team with a rating of 80. The good news for the Big Green is that they are the second highest rated team, but the bad news is that they are a very distant second, with a ranking of 155.
The Tigers' winning streak has been propelled by a tough defense, which leads the nation in scoring defense, giving up only 51.1 points per game, a number which drops to 47.8 points per game in Ivy League play. In fact, Princeton hasn't given up over 57 points to an Ivy opponent (the 57 was in the opening loss to Penn), and has only allowed over 50 points in four games.
On offense, Princeton Coach Pete Carrill's deliberate style of play has steadied the Tiger offense, which did not make any basket against the Big Green at Leede Arena two weeks ago that wasn't a three-point attempt or a layup. Princeton leads the Ivy in three-point shooting, making just over eight shots a game.
"We did not play our best against Princeton last time, and fortunately we were able to stay in the game till the last couple of minutes," guard P.J. Halas '97 said. "We are going down there to prove we can play better than we did last time."
To beat the Tigers, the Big Green will need to rely on accurate shooting against the Tiger defense. If they are to win this contest the Big Green will need to get the ball in the hands of forward Sea Lonergan '97, the Ivy League's leading scorer averaging 17.5 points per game. Lonergan was held to six points two weeks ago by the Tiger's Sydney Johnson.
"Sydney and I came in the same year and have always had a good rivalry, and so this time hopefully I can go out and turn the tables on him," Lonergan said.
Big Green faces faster pace
In what may be a blessing for the Big Green, they get to face Penn, a more open-style offensive team, after Princeton. Last time, Dartmouth, hyped after the streak-breaking win over Penn, had to play a more reserved, patient game against Princeton. This time, they will get to let the offense loose in the second game when they travel to the Palestra.
"It's much harder to play an open-style game like we did against Penn and then come back the next night and face a very slow, disciplined team like Princeton," Seth Newsome '99 said. "We gain a break this time I believe by facing Penn the second night."
Penn, which currently holds second place with a record of 7-2, has shown signs of vulnerability recently, losing to Dartmouth and Yale in the last two weeks. But the Quakers offense seemed to regain some life after the Yale loss, becoming the first team to score 80 points in Ivy League play this year when they blew out Brown 83-53 the following night.
Just as in their victory in Hanover, the Big Green will rely on their defense to shut down Penn's high scoring attack. The offense will look to get the ball to 7'0" center Brian Gilpin '97, who led the offensive charge last time with 17 points, effectively outplaying Penn center Tim Krug, one of the best centers in the League.
"Last time, our defense played well enough for long enough to allow our offense to score some big baskets and win us the game," Lonergan said. "This time, we need to play intense defense again, and hopefully our offense will put us in a position where we don't need to pull out a last second victory, although we would surely take it."
Even if the Big Green sweep the road trip and come home to Hanover in second place, they still need do not control their own destiny, needing help from one of three other teams to gain a share of the title.
First, Dartmouth must come home and sweep Yale and Brown, for another loss ends any hope of an Ivy League title. Then the Big Green must hope for a Princeton loss in one of their final three games -- road contests at Cornell, Columbia, and then at Pennsylvania.
The Tigers have a 2-1 record against those teams, with their only loss of the season coming against Penn. But three weeks ago they barely hung on for a 57-54 home win over Cornell.
"The only thing we can concentrate on is winning our remaining four games, and then we just need to hope the rest falls into place," Lonergan said.
