With less than three weeks left in regular season play, the women's basketball team successfully proved that the Big Green women are ready to take the Ivy League Championship as they dominated League opponents Cornell and Columbia this past weekend at home in Leede Arena.
Friday night Dartmouth, ranked two in the League, battled number three Cornell which on paper was to be a tough game. But the Big Green dominated the Big Red winning 76-58.
Dartmouth would return Saturday to defeat a weaker Columbia team 65-55, as the Big Green improved their overall record to 15-6 (7-2 Ivy League).
Dartmouth pounds Cornell
Erin Rewalt '99 came off the bench for the Big Green to score a team leading 19 points, while senior Jen Stamp continued her sharp shooting with 17 points of her own.
Although the game started an hour late because officials were late arriving into Hanover due to the poor weather conditions, the Big Green were anything but delayed.
Within six minutes from tip off, the Dartmouth women were up by 10 after two key three point shots by Stamp.
With 12:15 remaining in the half, Sally Annis '97 would swish in one of her four three point shots on the night improving the Big Green's lead to 17-4.
Dartmouth led by as much as 21 points but would close the first half with only a 12 point lead with the score at 33-21.
Cornell came out strong in the second half sticking with the Big Green point for point. Within four minutes, the Big Red had closed the gap to six points.
But the Big Green would respond. With two key layins from Bess Tortolani '98, last weeks Ivy League Player of the Week, the Big Green quickly extended their lead back to 15 points with 15 minutes left to play.
From that point on, Cornell would never come closer than eight points. Annis would close out the game with one of her custom three-pointers, giving Dartmouth the 76-58 win.
"We knew they were a good team and had been preparing for them all week," Annis said. "We really played well."
Dartmouth defeats Columbia
Annis would explode Saturday night against the Lions as she shot four for six from three point land and tallied 23 points for the Big Green.
During the first half the Big Green commanded taking a nine point lead eight minutes into the game. But tides began to turn after Stamp left the game with a bloody nose because she was fouled by a Columbia player and hit in the face.
The Lions took advantage of the missing Big Green captain and began to gnaw away at the Dartmouth lead. Two key shots from Columbia's Jen Holub brought the Lions to within two.
Although Stamp returned, Dartmouth was unable to respond to the increased Lion pressure and Columbia managed to tie the game at 28 heading into halftime.
"I think we might have overestimated them a little bit," Annis said. "They were not as good of a team [as Cornell], so we didn't come out nearly as well."
The Lions came out strong out of the locker room grabbing an early second half lead. Dartmouth recaptured the lead behind a three point shot from Annis with 17:23 to go in the game. But the two teams would trade leads five times in the following three minutes.
"We got away with a win against Columbia," Stamp said. "We were flat though, and we can't afford to do that because we have five real big games coming up."
Following a timeout with 10 minutes to go, Columbia would again recapture the lead following a jumper from Rose Jackson. But that was the last moment of glory for the Lions.
"We were glad that we pulled it off," Annis said. "We learned we have to play well for every team we come against."
With under six minutes to go, Dartmouth increased its lead to seven and would never let the deficit fall before three.
Late scoring from Annis and Stamp would boost the Big Green's lead and give them the 65-55 victory.
Dartmouth remains in second place in the League, one game off of leading Harvard, which has a 8-1 League record. The Crimson also defeated both Columbia and Cornell at home this past weekend.
Harvard and Dartmouth will not meet again until March 5. That game will mark the season end for both teams and could possibly determine the Ivy League Championships. But with four games to play before that point, as best said by Annis, "Anything can happen."
With five games left, the Big Green are confident with their own performance.
"Our team is starting to come together," Stamp said. "People are coming into their roles. It is more of a team effort and everyone is stepping up. We are looking to set people up on offense, and our defense is getting better."
Dartmouth returns to action Friday when the Big Green face Princeton at 6:30 p.m. in Leede Arena. Saturday, the women will return to Leede for another 6:30 p.m. game against Pennsylvania.
