The Big Green's seven-game road-trip included a 71-67 overtime win over Princeton and a 31-point demolition of Brown. The last time the women played at home, they took a tough 57-45 loss to Holy Cross.
Playing in front of the home fans was a welcome sight for the players, Brittney Smith '11 said.
"We were fired up to see all our fans cheering for us," she said.
Friday night was the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Pink Zone night, an event which serves to raise awareness for those fighting breast cancer. A Koren Schram '09 three-pointer put the Big Green in front early, 11-10, and Dartmouth would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. It was a big night for Schram, whose final line included 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and five steals.
It was a sloppy first half by both teams, though, resulting in a relatively low 20-14 halftime score. Columbia shot 20 percent from the floor, and Dartmouth did not do much better at 30 percent. Both teams lost critical scoring opportunities by turning the ball over. Dartmouth had two shot clock violations on possessions that ended in desperate heaves that barely made the basket.
The Big Green burst through the gates in the second half, going on an 11-0 run that resulted in the largest lead of the night, 31-14, while the Lions failed to score a point in the first five minutes. Columbia began a comeback, though, cutting Dartmouth's lead to six on multiple occasions, at 34-18, 36-30 and 38-32. Two free throws by Smith and another Schram basket for three put the Big Green up 44-32. Dartmouth managed to hold on for a 55-43 victory.
Dartmouth profited from a distinct height advantage in the contest. The Columbia starting five had only one player above six feet. Lions starting guard Sara Yee, at 5'1", was held to just three points despite playing 32 minutes.
Stifling defense and rebounding marked Saturday's 55-43 victory over Cornell. Dartmouth out-rebounded the Big Red 52-26 and held Cornell to 21.4 percent shooting. Only one Cornell player broke double digits, with freshman Allison Abt scoring 11 points. Dartmouth's defense contained the Big Red's two leading scorers, Lauren Benson and Shannan Scarselletta. Benson went scoreless and Scarselletta had four points.
Abt scored the first points of the game, but a score by Brittney Smith and a three by Schram put the Big Green up 5-2. Dartmouth was able to hold this lead for the rest of the game. The Big Green went on runs of 13-2 and 9-2 in the first half, leading to a 31-17 advantage at halftime.
Dartmouth started slow in the second half, taking five minutes before scoring its first points on two Margaret Smith '10 free throws. The Big Red managed to trim the deficit to seven at 35-28, but would get no closer. Dartmouth's lead got as large as 22, when the Big Green went up 55-33 with 2:34 to go in the game. With the game out of reach for the Big Red, both teams reached deep into their reserves. Every player on both sides had playing time.
Contributions came from many sources in Saturday's win. Schram had 14 points (including four three-pointers), six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Brittney Smith dominated the paint, grabbing 14 rebounds and scoring nine points. Margaret Smith also scored nine points, and went a perfect seven for seven from the free throw line, leading the Big Green's success from the charity stripe.
With an unblemished record after one tour against the Ivies, the Big Green is on track to win the conference and head to the NCAA tournament. Five of Dartmouth's remaining seven games are at home, including the season finale against Harvard on March 10 that could potentially decide the league champion.
"It's definitely promising for us to have beaten them once, and hopefully it will help us know what we need to do the rest of the season," Brittney Smith said.
The Big Green women take to the floor again this Friday when they take on the University of Pennsylvania and on Saturday against Princeton. Both games are at Leede Arena and are set to tip off at 7 p.m.
