The women's basketball team (10-5, 2-0 Ivy League) will face its toughest challenge of the young Ivy season this weekend with big games against Princeton and the University of Pennsylvania.
Up first for the Bears are the 8-5 Tigers, led by newcomer Meagan Cowher and veteran post player Rebecca Brown. The Friday night contest will be the first Ivy game for Princeton, which has won six straight games and has already improved upon last season's 7-20 record.
A major reason for the turnaround has been the play of Cowher, who leads her team in scoring at 12.9 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.4 boards a game. Performances such as her 28-point outburst against Saint Peter's College have not gone unnoticed by the league, which has awarded Cowher four out of the seven Rookie of the Week awards thus far.
Despite her on-court efforts, Cowher still remains best known as the daughter of longtime Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Bill Cowher. Her basketball genes, however, come from her mother. Kaye Cowher played college hoops at North Carolina State University before pursuing a pro career with the New York Stars of the Women's Professional Basketball League.
"She is from a very athletic background," said Brown Head Coach Jean Marie Burr. "She has earned respect and has been playing extremely well. She has a great jump shot. Cowher has really made a difference as a freshman."
Princeton's other offensive threat is Brown, a 6'3" junior who should provide a good matchup for Brown's 6'5" center Holly Robertson '05.
"Brown is really strong with her back to the basket, so we have to match (Robertson) up with that," Burr said. "Princeton has billed her as one of the top centers in the league, so it should be a pretty good matchup."
Meanwhile, co-captain Andrea Conrad '05 will match up on Cowher, although as Burr points out, Brown's style of defense is team-oriented.
"We have to do a good job putting pressure on the guards so that it won't be easy to get the ball to Cowher or Brown," Burr said.
Both teams also feature solid contributors who are recently returning from injury. For the Tigers, sophomore Casey Lockwood had a double-double in Princeton's victory over Brown last season. As for the Bears, they will continue to work guard Colleen Kelly '06 back into the lineup in what will be her second game back after missing a few weeks with an ACL injury that threatened to end her season. Kelly is averaging 12.7 points per game, third best on the team.
"Her jump shot may have gotten even quicker," Burr said of Kelly's play upon her return. "Her game has really stepped up a notch. We just have to make a few adjustments until we build up her confidence. Until that we will try to work it for what is best for the team to use her versatility."
On Saturday night, the reigning league champion Quakers will come to town at 7-6 looking for revenge. It was at the Pizzitola last February that Brown dealt Penn its first Ivy loss of that season, 85-75.
This is a different, albeit no less dangerous, squad. Gone are Head Coach Kelly Greenberg, who departed for Boston University in July, and last year's Ivy League Player of the Year, forward Jewel Clark, who graduated in May. With Clark gone, Penn will rely on its shooting and defense in an attempt at retribution.
The game will present another tough assignment for Robertson, this time in the form of Jennifer Fleischer. The 6'3" junior center's 9.1 rebounds per game are just behind Robertson's league-leading rebound average of 9.2.
"(Robertson) has some good matchups this weekend," Burr said. "She has dominated her game this year, and this is the type of challenge you want and look forward to."
The Bears are hoping to establish Robertson in the post, but more importantly avoid double teams down low and find the open shooters on the perimeter.
"We have struggled if we look too hard to her," Burr said. "There are teams we have faced that have tried to triple-team her, and they forced turnovers when she got the ball. Now, (those turnovers) are turning into assists. The inside-outside game has been a strength for us."
Bruno will also have to watch out for Karen Habrukowich on the perimeter. The senior has scored over 1,000 career points and leads the Quakers in scoring at 10.8 per contest.
Both games this weekend are shaping up to be defensive battles, with Princeton and Penn being one-two in scoring defense in the league. Brown is not far behind at fourth. Burr says that for Brown to continue its four-game win streak, the team has to set and maintain the pace of both games, which begins with stingy defense.
"Our offense is our defense," Burr said. "(Robertson) has been consistent about intimidating and stepping up in the lane ... and Sarah Hayes ('06) will push the tempo for us."
"We are very athletic and very scrappy defensively. We cannot give up easy baskets against Ivy teams," Burr said.
