Big Weekend Faces W. Cagers

If you weren't familiar with the records of Penn and Princeton over the last three weeks, you would think that Harvard's women's basketball team was playing out an updated version of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" rather than the remainder of their Ivy League season.

"This is a huge weekend. This is as big as any other game," sophomore Jessica Gelman said. This same sentiment has been echoed each weekend of Ivy League play.

However, these are not false alarms or childish pranks being used to bring spectators down to Briggs Cage. All games are crucial in Harvard's (13-6, 5-2 Ivy) quest for an Ivy League title--especially this weekend's contests.

Whether the cagers are facing Brown and Yale as they did last weekend or Penn (8-12, 5-3) and Princeton (13-7, 5-3) as they will this weekend, each contest has a direct impact on the league standing of second ranked Harvard.

"Every weekend is important for the rest of the season," junior Elizabeth Proudfit said. "This is when it gets down to the nitty gritty."

Even though the Crimson is coming off a 29-point blowout of Yale, Penn and Princeton will not be as easy, as both teams boast impressive winning streaks. Penn has won six out of its last seven games, including an overtime win against Brown--which defeated Harvard 65-57 last weekend. Princeton, on the other hand, has won four out of its last five games.

"Princeton has a bunch of threepoint shooters that if they get on their game that will be tough," junior Amy Reinhard said in apre-game prediction. "Penn is just going to be superscrappy."

In addition to these qualities, both Penn and Princeton come to Cambridge with unfinished business. In their first meetings, Harvard defeated the Quakers 71-59 and then dispensed with the Tigers 86-68 the next night.

"There is the revenge factor for them," Gelman said.

"I know they're really going to be pumped up to play us...they're going to be hungry," Proudfit said.

Just as the team members continue to tow the "big weekend" party line, they also continue to approach each game the same week in and week out, regardless of opponent.

"Instead of focusing on what they're doing we need to focus on ourselves and playing aggressive defense," Reinhard said.

"If we can let our defense ignite our offense like we did against Yale and concentrate on what we can control than these games are well within our reach," Gelman said.

In contrast to the boy who cried wolf, Harvard fans have reason to listen to the members of the women's basketball team. Said Gelman, "I hope people come out and support us this weekend. We're really something to watch--I swear!"