After splitting last weekend's games, the women's basketball team (11-6, 3-1 Ivy League) welcomes Cornell tonight and Columbia tomorrow for two important Ivy League games. Both games tip off at 7 p.m. at the Pizzitola Center.
Although Cornell is winless in the league and only 2-15 overall, the Bears are not taking them lightly. "You play the team and not the record," said Head Coach Jean Marie Burr.
Offensively, Cornell is led by freshman Lindsay Krasna and sophomore Claire Perry. Krasna was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the fifth time this season for her performance last weekend, and is leading the Big Red in scoring with 12.0 points per game. Perry is the team's second leading scorer at 10.8 points per game and is second in rebounding at 4.9 per game. She is also the team's leading deep threat, shooting 35.2 percent from behind the arc.
The Bears intend to alternate between various types of defenses to confuse the Big Red and keep Kransa and Perry on their toes.
"They have a lot of freshmen and sophomores we haven't played against, so they aren't the easiest team to gameplan against," said co-captain Andrea Conrad '05.
The Bears will continue to rely on their defense to keep their opponent's scoring and field goal percentages down. Although the Bears have traditionally been known as a very good defensive team, they still want to exhibit their offensive skills and show that they have more options than Holly Robertson '05 and Sarah Hayes '06.
Both Hayes and Robertson are shining for the Bears this season. Robertson is second in the Ivies in scoring with 14.7 points per game, while Hayes is two spots behind with 13.9 a contest. Hayes has also been a defensive stopper, leading the league in steals with 3.18.
In Ivy League play, the Bears have held opponents to 59 points per game and 38 percent shooting. What has gone unnoticed is that they have been scoring 62 points a game, third in the Ivy League. Burr has been very happy with the team's offensive firepower so far.
"We have lots of depth, and lots of people that have stepped up," Burr said.
If the Bears want to continue their success, they will need better offensive production than they had last Saturday against the University of Pennsylvania. The Bears shot only 29.1 percent for the game and missed easy shots in a 47-43 setback.
"We want to shoot better in the games this weekend," Conrad said. "We didn't shoot as well in our games last week and we want to redeem ourselves. We want to continue to be a good defensive team, but if you don't make shots you aren't going to win, no matter who you play."
Saturday night, the Bears welcome Columbia to the Pizzitola Center. The Lions come into Saturday's contest 9-8 overall and 2-2 in the league. The Lions run a spread offense, which requires three-point shooting and sharing of the basketball. "It will be very important to keep Columbia off the boards if we want to win this game," Conrad said.
The Lions do not have a player scoring in double figures, but they have five players averaging at least seven points per game. "Playing against a team that doesn't have one go-to player is interesting, but we will adjust to what we see on the floor and the personnel of the opponent," Burr said.
The Lions will also be a test for the third-ranked Bears offense, as they boast a defense that is fourth in the league in scoring defense.
With the Bears scheduled to hit the road for the next two weeks, it is important that they win at home.
"Playing in the Ivy League with no playoffs makes every game very important, especially the home games," Conrad said. "Protecting the home court is something that everyone sees as important."
