Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism.
The Dartmouth
July 22, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Women's basketball extends winning streak to 11

The Big Green defeated Penn for the second time this season, winning 55-36 in Leede Arena.
The Big Green defeated Penn for the second time this season, winning 55-36 in Leede Arena.

The Big Green (14-9, 9-0 Ivy) beat Penn 55-36 on Friday and Princeton 43-42 on Saturday.

The Big Green warded off a strong second-half performance from the Tigers (9-14, 4-5 Ivy) to complete the weekend sweep. Brittney Smith '11 led the Big Green with 10 points. Co-captains Darcy Rose '09 and Koren Schram '09 added nine rebounds and eight points, respectively.

A layup by Margaret Smith '10 with 1:35 left regained the lead for Dartmouth before several defensive stops at the other end of the court sealed the win.

A steal by Schram with 32 seconds left appeared to clinch victory for the Big Green, but a slack pass 10 seconds later returned the ball to the Tigers. After a successful defensive stop, Smith was fouled on the inbounds and sent to the free-throw line for a one-and-one. She missed the front end, which allowed Princeton 12.3 seconds for a last effort at the win. A packed Dartmouth defense, however, prevented the Tigers from getting a good shot off.

"We wanted to stay in front of them," Rose said. "If we fell behind the ball, we knew it would be difficult to defend a shot, and fortunately we were able to do that."

Dartmouth looked in control throughout the first half, and went into the break with a 20-13 lead. A pair of long-range efforts by Meghan McFee '11 and Schram seconds into the second half extended the lead to 26-13 before Princeton was able to find its way in the game.

A 17-6 run by the Tigers tied the came at 32 with 9:47 remaining in the second half. Soon after, Princeton was able to capitalize on several empty possessions by the Big Green, including two consecutive shot-clock violations.

"They did a good job of changing up defenses," Schram said. "We had a difficult time adapting, and as a result we struggled on offense."

The Big Green had an especially difficult time dealing with Princeton center Devona Allgood. The freshman dominated the paint throughout the game, netting 15 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Her 12 second-half points led the upset bid for the Tigers.

"We knew she was coming," head coach Chris Wielgus said. "She's a fantastic player, and we obviously had our hands full."

In the final five minutes, Dartmouth, led by Rose and Schram, was able to play good defense to overcome its offensive shortcomings and seal the win.

Consistent rebounding on the defensive end by Rose and constant pressure on the ball by Schram prevented the Tigers from getting second chance opportunities or finding time to comfortably set up plays. The seniors also contributed to the offense, combining for 10 of the Big Green's 23 second half points.

"I think there was a certain point in the game where Koren and I realized that we had to win this game," Rose said. "We weren't playing the best ball tonight, and we weren't communicating well as a team, so it was our responsibility as captains to lift the team."

This was the second meeting between the two teams this season. The first contest was just as close, with Dartmouth winning at Princeton 71-67 in overtime.

"There are always games like this in a season," Wielgus said. "There's a lot of luck involved, but both teams played with a lot of effort."

The Big Green beat Penn for the second time this season on Friday. It was the seventh straight game during which Dartmouth held its opposition to under 45 points. Smith led all scorers with 17 points, and Rose joined her in double figures with 13, along with eight rebounds.

Dartmouth was dominant throughout, holding Penn (6-13, 3-6 Ivy) to 36-percent shooting on the game. The Big Green led 29-17 at the half.

"We play with a balanced attack," Wielgus said. "That's how we play, and we have success when we execute that well. We were able to do that tonight."

The Big Green's motion offense was able to control possession and the tempo for the majority of the game. On the other end, Dartmouth's matchup zone defense baffled the Quakers.

"I think they wanted to get us moving fast," Schram said. "We slowed it down, and the matchup zone really isn't a good defense to run against."

Penn showed some life in the second half, running the floor with good pace and holding Dartmouth to 36-percent shooting from the field. Sophomore forward Jerin Smith led the effort with 10 points for Penn. The Quakers also held Brittney Smith to five points in the latter half, after the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year had her way on the floor in the first period.

In the end, however, Penn could not keep up its pace and fell apart down the stretch.

"A team that's behind tries to speed the game up, because they need more touches," Wielgus said. "In the end it didn't work out for them."

The Big Green will look to continue its 11-game winning streak and improve its perfect Ivy League record this weekend as it hosts Cornell University and Columbia University at Leede Arena.