W. Cagers Hunting Ivy Crown

This weekend, the Harvard women's basketball team faces two formidable foes: vengeful opponents and a malicious case of bronchitis.

Harvard (8-11 overall, 5-2 Ivy) must contend with those forces this weekend if it hopes to continue its three-game winning streak and, moreover, keep pace with first-place Brown, which has easy games coming up.

Harvard, currently one and a half games out of first, hosts Pennsylvania (7-13, 4-4) Friday night, and Princeton (9-11, 4-4) Saturday.

Earlier this season, Harvard overcame a 13-point second-half deficit to stun Penn at the Palestra in Philadelphia. Now the Quakers years to even the score against a Crimson team weakened by illness.

Because of the contagion, Harvard Coach Kathy Delaney Smith was compelled to cancel practice.

"We are ridden with bronchitis and strep throat," Delaney Smith said.

Nevertheless, Harvard still holds a few trump cards. Penn has the worst field goal percentage in the Ivy League at .318, and its leading rebounder, freshman Natasha Rezek, is out for the season with a broken hand.

Without Rezek's 7.9 rebounds per game, the Quakers are in for a tough time against Harvard's tandem of freshman Tammy Butler and junior Debbie Flandermeyer.

Penn, however, has been known to pull a few surprises. Last week, it almost upset Brown in a nip and tuck contest that went down to the wire. The Quakers barely lost, 59-56.

"Penn is unpredictable," Delaney Smith said. "It has come as close as anybody to beating the top teams in the Ivy League. They are young, athletic and scrappy."

Then again, Penn (which occasionally plays five freshmen) has been known to make more than a few errors out of inexperience.

Saturday night features Harvard's version of the "Grudge Match." Princeton roars into town with a chip on its shoulder.

The Tigers feel that they should have beaten Harvard three weeks ago. In that contest, Princeton outstripped the Crimson in every statistical category except free throws.

(Of course, that lone weakness was their downfall: junior guard Erin Maher hit two foul shots with 3.8 seconds left, to give the Crimson a 68-65 victory.)

"I think there's a natural rivalry between us," Delaney Smith said.

The Tigers may have to play without their all-time assist leader, Leah Spraragen, though. Spraragen has a severe case of tendinitis.