Tigers, Big Green enter league play with high expectations

While most Ivy League students went back home for winter break, women’s basketball players around the league continued to compete in preparation for conference play.

No team has been hotter than Princeton (13-2) this season, and its strong performance continued during the winter recess. Princeton went 5-0, defeating Houston, Fairleigh Dickinson, Fordham, La Salle, and Penn by an average margin of 21.6 points. Princeton’s Ivy League opener against Penn was especially resounding, as the Tigers dispatched their perennial foe 70-39. The Tigers won the game with ease despite last season’s leading scorer Addie Micir contributing only three points.

In previous years, that would have meant trouble. However, this year’s defense has dramatically improved from last season’s already good defense and is currently allowing a league-low 51 points a game. Freshman Niveen Rasheed has also been sensational for the Tigers and is currently second in the league (behind Columbia’s Judie Lomax) in scoring with 16.9 points per game and fourth in rebounding with 7.9 rebounds per game. Princeton looks good enough to win the Ivy League this year, and looks to emphasize its legitimacy when it returns from its 20-day January break.

For Princeton to win the Ancient Eight title, it will have to take it from Dartmouth. The Big Green, which was picked in the preseason to repeat as Ivy champs, struggled early amidst a tough schedule, but has shown improvements in recent weeks. Dartmouth is coming off 45-44 and 49-48 wins against Harvard and New Hampshire respectively and looks to improve its 6-9 record when it hosts the Cornell Big Red and the Columbia Lions next week.
Yale has struggled this winter, losing six of seven on its seven-game road trip. The Bulldogs lost their Ivy League opener 60-56 to the Bears, who finished last in the league last year with a dismal 1-13 conference record. In fact, Brown’s lone conference win last year also came in its opener versus Yale. Yale looks to get back on track and bolster its 5-10 record in its rematch against Brown this week.

The Bears struggled over break against tough opposition, losing to St. Joseph’s, South Carolina, Albany, and Syracuse, before defeating Yale to end their skid. Despite their recent string of losses, the 4-11 Bears, behind last week’s Ivy League Rookie of the Week Lindsay Nickel, have already doubled their win total from last season.

Harvard’s forward-guard Emma Markley and last year’s Ivy League Rookie of the Year Brogan Berry averaged 28 points per game versus Navy, Massachusetts, and NJIT, propelling Harvard to victories in all three games. But the duo faltered in conference play against Dartmouth, scoring just 18 on seven for 27 combined shooting which resulted in a 45-44 loss. The Crimson’s record is 9-5 and it is looking strong heading into its game against Florida State.

Penn achieved its lone win of the season in a 52-48 triumph over St. Francis on Dec. 31. But after this victory the Quakers’ lackluster play continued, as they lost their next four games—including one to their rival Princeton—by an average of 20 points.

Over break, Cornell traveled to play in the Virginia Holiday Tournament and was flattened by Liberty and Samford. Upon returning, the Big Red continued its slump losing by 30 to Binghamton, 14 to Bucknell, and 24 to Columbia.

In Cornell’s conference opener against Columbia, its star point guard Lauren Benson was shut down, contributing just seven points and two assists while committing six turnovers. The Big Red defense failed to stop Lomax, who tallied 17 points and 16 rebounds. Cornell will look to avenge its last loss when it plays Columbia this Saturday at the Levien Gymnasium. Tip-off is set for 4:30 p.m.