After two blowout wins against Brown and Yale last week, Dartmouth edged Albany 65-57 last night in a game that was close throughout. Courtney Banghart '00 led the team with 22 points, including six three-pointers, and helped the Big Green secure its third consecutive win and fifth in the last six.
In stark contrast to last week's impassioned victories, Dartmouth played sluggishly. Underdog Albany came out strong with a full-court press that flustered Dartmouth early.
It was clear from the start that the game would be a close one. The lead changed 14 times in the first half and neither team led by more than five points. At halftime, Dartmouth maintained a slim margain, 32-31.
Especially notable was the Great Danes' domination in the paint. Most of Albany's 31 points came from penetration and strong post play.
Albany's 9-4 advantage on the offensive boards gave them a dominating 15-2 lead in second chance points.
Two Dartmouth guards, Keri Downs '03 and Sherryta Freeman '01, were tied for second on the team in rebounds with two. Team rebound leader Katharine Hanks '03 was only able to muster one rebound for the half.
Both teams' offenses stalled with Dartmouth shooting 39.3 percent from the field and Albany shooting 40 percent. Only Banghart's four first-half three-pointers kept the Big Green afloat.
The second half began with much of the same.The teams remained close until the 4:16 mark, when Dartmouth staged an 8-2 run, fueled by three-point field goals from Banghart and Freeman, to pull ahead 61-53.
Nevertheless, the Great Danes refused to let up, and the game wasn't assured until the final minute. Dartmouth was able to secure the win thanks in part to a 10-2 free throw advantage for the game. The Big Green is currently ranked 10th in the nation in free throw percentage with a 75 percent success rate.
Liz Tucker '01 led the Great Danes with 15 points and four assists. Melissa Schoonover '00 added 14 points and eight rebounds. The loss was Albany's fourth in a row and dropped them to 5-12.
Liz Martin '00 contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for the Big Green. Dartmouth, on their second and last break from Ivy League play for the season, increased its record to 9-6 (2-1 Ivy).
For the season, Dartmouth is 6-0 when leading at halftime and 6-1 at home. Stony Brook travels to Hanover this Saturday.
