Winter storm Juno may have dumped over two feet of snow on the northeastern United States. It may have closed thousands of roads and schools. It may have even caused governors to declare states of emergency. But there is one thing that Juno can’t hold back this weekend: Penn women’s basketball.
As blizzard conditions continue in New England, the team will embark on a two-day road trip in which it will take on two tough competitors — Dartmouth on Friday and Harvard on Saturday.
This weekend’s competitions mark the start of the Quakers’ remaining 13 conference games — a challenge, no doubt — but senior captain Kathleen Roche believes the team has the right mentality to win.
“Every game is a battle,” Roche said. “Every game matters. Anyone can win any game, so it’s really exciting.”
Roche believes that the key to success is “just making sure everyone goes in and knows their role and does exactly what they need to do. That’s going to be important for not only this weekend but every weekend following.”
The Quakers (9-6, 0-1 Ivy) did just that in their last game against NJIT, in which many members of the team contributed to its 59-29 victory. Freshman forward Michelle Nwokedi led the way with 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocks while sophomore Sydney Stipanovich, Roche and sophomore Sade Gibbons also contributed on both ends of the floor.
After a week of good practices following the win, coach Mike McLaughlin echoed Roche’s faith in the team.
“At this point, our confidence is there,” McLaughlin said. “Trust in each other is there. We have learned how to win. Anything can happen, but hopefully we will go out there relaxed and ready to play.”
The Red and Blue will certainly be looking to avenge a heartbreaking loss to Dartmouth in last year’s matchup in which the Big Green pulled off a win by three in the final seconds, breaking the Quakers nine-game winning streak.
Although McLaughlin praised Dartmouth’s size and scoring abilities, he feels confident that his team can win on the road.
Furthermore, despite having to prepare for two big conference games in a 24-hour span, McLaughlin and his team have a clear and focused mentality.
“One at a time,” he said. “We’ll prepare for Dartmouth, and then after that game, we will start preparing for Harvard. One game at a time. Eighty minutes overall, but Dartmouth is the only thing that matters right now.”
Harvard, who finished second in the Ivy League last season, is a perennial contender with a formidable offensive team. Already this season, Harvard and Dartmouth have split their contests. In the teams’ second matchup, Harvard stormed back from a 14-point deficit in the final minutes to win, 79-75. Although Harvard is ranked second in the league with 66 points per game, they also allow the most points per game of any member of the Ancient Eight at 69.5.
Certainly, the competition this weekend will be fierce — maybe even as fierce as the snowy gusts from winter storm Juno.
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