Despite an impressive offensive effort on Saturday afternoon, the Dartmouth women's basketball team suffered an 86-76 loss to Longwood University in Farmville, Va. Faziah Steen '13 scored a game-high 29 points, hitting four of five three-pointers in her second consecutive 20-point game. Guard Milica Toskovic '15 netted 14 points while center Tia Dawson '15 added 12.
Dawson, who also added seven rebounds, was named Ivy League Co-Rookie of the Week last week, the first winner of the award at Dartmouth since Steen won it during the 2009-10 season. Dawson leads the Ivy League in blocks and the Big Green in rebounds.
"Tia has been playing great basketball," Toskovic said. "She scores close to double figures every night. She's been consistent every game, and I am glad she finally got the recognition. She definitely earned it."
Trailing 77-65 with 1:02 left in the game, the Big Green sparked a late comeback after three-pointers from Steen and Toskovic cut the Lancers lead to six points. Longwood capitalized on its free throws late in the game, however, shooting seven of eight from the charity stripe. Dartmouth trailed Longwood by close to 10 points throughout the game until about 10 minutes left in the second half.
The Lancers' lead developed from the Big Green's difficulty in getting things started in the first half. Dartmouth turned the ball over 25 times during the game, with more than half of those coming in the first 20 minutes.
"Normally we play a really strong first half against our opponents and then end up coming out slow in the second half and end up having to dig out of a hole the rest of the half," Steen said. "But this game we just started off really slow and turned the ball over 14 to 15 times in the first half alone. This time our strongest point in the game was the middle to the end of the second half, which is different for us."
The Big Green's 76-point total marked its highest of the year. Dartmouth had scoring contributions from every player. Steen said that once the team started to drive to the basket, it was able to get some easy looks.
"We definitely got back into our fast break play this game and were able to convert on more of those opportunities in the second half," Steen said. "They were also denying us pretty tight on the wings, so once the posts started making themselves more available as release points in the offense, we were able to run a few sets and get some buckets."
Dartmouth also shot well from the free-throw line, going 14-of-19 on the night. The Big Green also scored 17 second chance points, in comparison to Longwood's 13.
"We were able to make most of our free throws, and our scoring on fast breaks contributed for some quick points," Toskovic said. "Steen had another great performance, scoring almost 30 points. All that made for a high scoring game as well as our ability to get to the basket because Longwood was a much smaller team."
Dartmouth also showed good defensive play, grabbing 38 rebounds over Longwood's 35. Arianne Hunter '14 led the team with eight rebounds. Steen and Toskovic stressed the importance of rebounding to the team and how it's been a huge focal point for the team in practice.
"Rebounds are just opportunities to have more offensive possessions and get more scores, so keeping our opponents off the boards and out-rebounding them is a key part of being successful in a game," Steen said. "We just have to pair out-rebounding our opponents with committing less turnovers and point production will not be an issue with those extra possessions we will gain."
In closing out its last non-conference game, the Big Green has high hopes for Ivy League play, which will make up the season's remaining 13 games. Toskovic said she is excited to face Ivy League competition and that the Big Green's tough opponents thus far will prepare it for the rest of the season.
"I have much confidence that this team will come together and become the group that our coaches and players know we can be," she said.
In its first Ivy League game last week against Harvard University, the women lost, 71-63. Steen said she believes that with the way the Big Green played against Harvard, which was picked second in the Ivy League Preseason Poll, the team is ready for the remainder of its games this season.
"Ivy League play is so unpredictable, and any team could win the conference this year," she said. "But if we just come in with as much effort and defensive execution as we did against Harvard, we will be fine."
The Big Green hosts Brown and Yale next weekend in Hanover. Dartmouth will host the Bears at 7 p.m. on Friday and the Bulldogs at 2 p.m. on Sunday at Leede Arena.
