Dartmouth's offense has been the team's main culprit during its downturn. The Big Green ranks 343rd of 346 Division I schools in scoring this season, after ranking 346th of 347 last season. The Big Green's shooting percentages have not been much higher the team was 341st in 2009 and is 333rd this season.
While the team has sported a balanced scoring attack this season with several players capable of carrying the scoring load on any given night the team's evenness has contributed to its downfall. With captain Ronnie Dixon '11 still sidelined with a broken hand and not expected to return for another two weeks, no player has been able to consistently step up for Dartmouth. The problem has particularly plagued the team in the second half of games.
The lack of a standout performance was not an issue for the Big Green's opponents this weekend, with Brown sophomore forward Tucker Halpern and Yale junior forward Greg Mangano combining to score 55 points in leading their respective schools to victories.
In Dartmouth's 75-66 loss to Brown (9-13, 2-6 Ivy), the Big Green was hurt by poor decision-making down the stretch. Three of the five Dartmouth players on the floor at the end of the game were freshmen, and their inexperience was evident throughout their play.
Compounding the problem was the foul trouble of captain Clive Weeden '11, who played just 11 minutes and fouled out with 4:42 to play in the game. His loss deprived the team of its lone playing senior for the game's biggest moments.
"We definitely had some mental breakdowns with some switches and guys forgetting about some very capable shooters and we left [Brown players] wide open," Weeden said.
The Bears average 71 points per game, and they were able to move the Big Green out of its comfort zone by forcing a faster pace. Dartmouth attempted 62 shots, one shy of its season high.
"The thing that bothered me was I thought offensively we shot too quickly at times and then they were able to score in transition," head coach Paul Cormier said. "Our offense put more pressure on our defense than it should have."
Bright spots for the Big Green included forward Nick Jackson '14, who scored a career-high 17 points, and forward Dave Rufful '12, who recorded his first career double-double registering 10 points and 12 rebounds. Both efforts were overshadowed, however, by the performance of Halpern, who led all scorers with 25 points.
Cormier said the team accounted for Halpern's strengths in its gameplan, but his versatility enabled him to beat the Big Green defense in multiple ways.
"We didn't contain [him]," Cormier said. "There's a mismatch we're playing him with a 6'4'' kid and he's 6'8". He could take us inside as well as outside."
During the game, Dartmouth defenders guarding Halpern had to consistently leave their position to assist in guarding other Brown players, leaving the forward open.
Cormier said, however, that he was impressed by Jackson's performance, calling his play throughout the game "terrific."
"I guess it was just my night," Jackson said. "I'd been preparing for coach to say Nick, go in and show me something.' I saw that we were getting open shots, and fortunately I was able to hit them."
In Saturday's loss to Yale (12-10, 5-3 Ivy), Dartmouth again struggled to contain an opposing forward. Mangano registered 11 rebounds and exploded for a career-high 30 points in Yale's 69-60 victory. Mangano's total represents the third-highest single-game output by any player in the Ivy League this season.
Mangano's performance stood in stark contrast to the Big Green's offensive woes, as no Dartmouth player reached double figures.
Just as in the Brown game, Yale held a consistent lead in the second half. Instead of capitalizing on its opportunity, however, the Big Green again could not create a consistent scoring run. As the clock wound down, Dartmouth was never close enough to mount a serious challenge.
"I think the kids have worked very hard and they haven't been rewarded with wins," Cormier said. "It's a situation where this is going to make us stronger, and that's how we've got to approach it. We can't hang our heads and feel sorry for [ourselves] we've got to go out and make it happen."
The games were just the latest in what has been an underwhelming last two years for the men's basketball team. Former head coach Terry Dunn resigned midway through last year's 5-23 (1-13 Ivy) campaign, the fewest wins for a Big Green squad since the 2003-2004 season.
The Big Green begins a four-game road trip this weekend, traveling to take on Columbia University Friday night before continuing on to Ithaca, N.Y., to face Cornell University on Saturday night.
