Because this weekend is full of activity in women’s basketball, we’ll check in with the Ivy League women’s basketball teams to see where they stand as we close out the calendar year with a few more games.
1. Columbia
Sitting at an impressive first place in the Ivy League rankings, the Columbia Lions are heading into their Saturday game against UMass coming off momentum from their last blowout win against the Marist Red Foxes.
The Lions have managed to rack up a strong record of 8-2, currently savoring their three-game winning streak that they hope to raise to four after this weekend.
Notable players on the team consist of junior guard/forward Kaitlyn Davis, freshman guard Kitty Henderson, and junior guard Jaida Patrick, who all recorded double-doubles in their last game against Marist. Columbia coach Megan Griffith will be sure to take advantage of these star players and she hopes to maintain the Lions' top spot among the Ivies.
2. Princeton
Right below Columbia, the Princeton Tigers boasts a record of 6-2, putting them in second place in the Ivy rankings. This weekend, they will be hosting Seton Hall following a loss against Fordham, where they fell behind 0-15 in the second half, giving Fordham the victory.
Prior to this loss, Princeton had a three-game winning streak going, defeating Temple, Maine, and Florida Gulf Coast. The Tigers are hoping to regain their win streak starting with this upcoming game on Saturday.
Princeton’s wins came from a group effort, with special showing from top players like senior guard Abby Meyers, who scored a career-high 22 points against Fordham, sophomore forward Ellie Mitchell, and junior guard Julia Cunningham, who both managed 12 points in the loss last week. Coach Carla Berube and the Tigers will push hard in these final games of the year in order to overthrow Columbia in their comfortable top position.
3. Yale
The Yale Bulldogs are in third place in the rankings and hope to increase their ranking in their upcoming game against LIU Wednesday at 7 p.m. and this weekend against UMass-Lowell.
The Bulldogs have a current record of 5-4, having lost their last two games against Quinnipiac and against St. Joe’s by a mere margin of three points. According to coach Allison Guth, the Bulldogs need to be more consistent in their playing and shouldn’t be working hard to erase deficits that shouldn’t exist.
Despite their inconsistencies, Yale still had some standout performances from their players. Junior forward Camilla Emsbo played as hard as she could in the first half (leading the team with 11 points) before sitting out the second half due to foul trouble. Sophomore guard Klara Astrom racked up a team-best 11 rebounds while scoring 10 points, while sophomore guard Jenna Clark also boasted eight points, but with an added bonus of five assists.
4. Cornell
In fourth place are the Cornell Big Red who have a record of 4-5, only above Penn by way of one less loss. The Big Red hope to keep it that way with their upcoming game against Syracuse on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Cornell heads into this game on a two-game losing streak, with one loss to UMass-Lowell and another to Niagara. The margin of both losses were both by less than 10 points, showing Cornell’s perseverance on the court.
Notable players from their most recent game include junior guard Olivia Snyder, who ended the game with her first 20-point performance of her career. She shot for 6-of-11 and 8-8 on the stripe, racking up a game-high 12 rebounds and her third double-double. Junior guard Ania McNicholas gathered a career-high 16 points and four assists, while senior forward Theresa Grace Mbanefo finishes off the 10+ points list with 10 points of her own along with seven rebounds.
5. Penn
This week, Penn women’s basketball heads to Stony Brook, N.Y., to face off against Stony Brook. The Quakers are heading into this game following a five-game losing streak, including their most recent loss against St. Joe’s on their home turf.
Penn’s current record is 4-6, having won a majority of their games in the beginning of the season. With only two more games left for December, the Quakers are hoping to end the calendar year with two more wins to improve their current record.
Despite the losses both on the road and at home, there have been some notable players that have been showing off impressive performances. Due to the suspensions of several key upperclassmen, the underclassmen have taken it upon themselves to keep the team’s performances strong and their skills stronger. Standout players like sophomores forward Jordan Obi and guard Michaela Stanfield have been giving it their all on the court to make up for the team’s shortcomings. We’re also seeing strong performances from junior guard Kayla Padilla, who’s averaging 22.8 points per game. Hopefully for the Quakers, the Red and Blue can take advantage of the players they have in order to turn their record around.
6. Harvard
Right below Penn, Harvard is sitting in sixth place, with a 3-7 record that is tied with Brown.
With no games this coming weekend, the Crimson have some time to redirect their attention to weak spots in their offense and defense. Having lost their last two games against Colorado State University and Arizona State, Harvard needs to shift their focus and improve on their skills before their game next weekend against Northeastern.
Even with the loss, Harvard underclassmen impressed their coaches and upperclassmen teammates with their strong play. In their last game at the ASU classic, freshman guard Harmoni Turner scored a team-high of 18 points, with freshman guard Elle Stauffer coming in second at nine points. Junior guards McKenzie Forbes and Annie Stritzel came in third with six points each and sophomore guard Lola Mullaney garnered a team-high four rebounds.
7. Brown
Tied with Harvard, Brown has a record of 3-7 and is trying hard to turn their season around.
Brown will enter this game off the thrill of a long-awaited win against Holy Cross this past weekend. In a hard-fought win, the Bears defeated the Crusaders, 57-55.
Brown was led by players like freshman forward Amanda Latkany who posted an impressive career-high of 15 points and 6-6 from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Charlotte Jewell collected 13 points and led the team with a career-high nine rebounds. Sophomore guard Kyla Jones followed up with 12 points and added a team-high of four steals to her record.
If the Browns continue to use their new and fresh talent, they might have a shot of overtaking Harvard and moving up the ranks to a better standing.
8. Dartmouth
Coming in last place, the Dartmouth Big Green has a current record of 0-8, having won no games since the start of the season. Many of their losses have been blowouts, with scores having deficits with as much as 46 points.
Their most recent game against Monmouth showed some promise in the beginning as the Big Green led for the three quarters but ultimately fell when it mattered most. Despite mediocre performances from senior guard Katie Douglas, who managed nine points, sophomore guard/forward Carrington Washburn, who scored eight points and was a perfect 2-for-2 on free throws, and freshman forward Doreen Ariik, who had an excellent 10 rebound performance, Dartmouth just couldn’t maintain its lead.
With a couple more games to go, and most being in the new year against the other Ivies, Dartmouth needs to step up their game immediately before they finish their season with no game wins at all.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate