W. Cagers, Big Green Open Ivy Season

Although the Harvard women's basketball team finished tied for first place in the Ivy League, the squad ended the season on a sour note. The Crimson lost a chance at capturing an outright title when it fell to eventual Co-Champion Dartmouth in the season finale, 72-65, at Briggs Cage.

Harvard will try to get the new season off to a good start when it hosts the Big Green tomorrow at Briggs Cage (2 p.m.).

Standing at 6-4 overall, the Crimson has played a tough pre-conference schedule and will be hoping to match its sparkling Ivy record (12-2) of last season, as well as to exact a bit of revenge.

"We've had the toughest preseason schedule of any of the Ivy teams," Co-Captain Beth Chandler said.

Dartmouth could prove to be even tougher this year. While it lost no key players to graduation, the squad must make do without 1987-88 Ivy Player of the Year Liz Walter, who is enrolled in a special academic program and is no longer on the team.

"I don't think that [the loss of Walter] has hurt Dartmouth that much," Chandler said. "It's probably made the team a lot closer. They're undefeated in pre-season."

Chandler credits Dartmouth senior Nancy Fitz, this year's team captain, with being instrumental in last year's Big Green victory.

"The one person who really hurt us last year was Nancy," Chandler said. "It was a pretty close game--then she came in and scored four straight baskets. That just killed us."

In addition, the junior combo of Sophia Neely at guard and Patty Webb at center have been a major part of Dartmouth's success in past seasons. Neely has been averaging 16.8 points per game, with Webb just behind at 16.7 points per game. Webb also leads the team in rebounds, averaging 8.2 per game, and can run very well in the open court for a player at her position.

"Dartmouth's edge is experience," Coach Kathy Delaney Smith said. "[Dartmouth Coach Jackie] Hullah fits good players into a simple system, and it's effective."

"They're a really good team, and they've been together a long time," Chandler said. "If anything, they have experience on us."

Harvard lost several key players to graduation, including its first and second all-time leading scorers, Sharon Hayes and Barbarann Keffer. However, the younger members of the team have more than met the challenge.

Major Game Time

"We are a young team in that there are a lot of people who are getting major game time this year," Coach Kathy Delaney Smith said. "We match up evenly against Dartmouth as far as depth goes."

Along with Co-Captains Chandler and Sarah Duncan, Harvard will be starting junior Heidi Kosh and sophomores Jen Mazanec and Beth Wambach.

In order to beat Dartmouth, the Crimson will have to effectively defuse its tough 2-3 defense.

"We have to be versatile to move the ball against their bothersome 2-3 zone," Delaney Smith said. "We have to move the ball quickly and dribble to create passing lanes."

The cagers enter tomorrow's contest confident about their play coming off Monday night's resounding 82-54 victory over Merrimack.

"We have a really good transition game," Chandler said. "We have to rebound well and get the ball up the court."