Women’s Basketball Hosts Lafayette for Education Day

Nina Minicozzi women's basketball vs. UMass Lowell

Nina Minicozzi scored a career-high 19 points to help Dartmouth defeat Navy the last time the Big Green were in action at Leede Arena.

Photo by: Kyle Relf

Women’s Basketball Hosts Lafayette for Education Day

12/20/2023 12:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball

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The Big Green, who will be cheered on by hundreds of local elementary students on Thursday, have won three of their last four

By: Kyle Relf

GAME 11
Dartmouth (5-5, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. Lafayette (4-6, 0-0 Patriot League)
Date and Time: Thursday, Dec. 21 | 11 a.m.
Location: Hanover, N.H. | Leede Arena
All-Time Series: 5-3
Last Meeting: Dec. 28, 2001 (L, 64-42)

5-5 START
A road win over UMass Lowell marked Dartmouth's fifth win of the season, which matches the Big Green's combined win totals from the 2021-22 (3) and 2022-23 (2) seasons. Dartmouth has won three of its last four entering Thursday's matchup with Lafayette, the second Patriot League opponent of the season.

FLOOR GENERAL
Not only did first-year guard Nina Minicozzi register a career-high eight assists with only one turnover against UAlbany, her assist/turnover ratio of 9.00 last week (Dec. 11-17) ranked second in the nation behind only Little Rock's Jaiyah Harris-Smith during that span. Minicozzi's eight assists were the most for any Dartmouth player since Annie McKenna tallied nine against Cornell on Feb. 28, 2020.

DEFENSE STILL LEADS IVY LEAGUE
Allowing 53.9 points per game, Dartmouth ranks atop the Ivy League and among the top 30 nationally in scoring defense. The Big Green also still lead the nation in fewest fouls committed (9.9 per game). Bryant and UAlbany are the only teams that have scored 60 or more against Dartmouth.

ARIIK AMONG THE LEAGUE'S BEST
Junior forward Doreen Ariik, whose game-high 14 boards helped the Big Green to victory at UMass Lowell, is one of only two players in the Ivy League averaging 10 or more rebounds per game. The Kenya native is 20th in the nation with 10.4 rebounds per game, while Princeton's Ellie Mitchell leads the conference and ranks among the top 10 nationally with 11.7. In addition to her rebounding numbers, Ariik leads the Ivy League in blocks per game with 1.60.

SCOUTING LAFAYETTE
After going 10-19 overall and 7-11 in the Patriot League last season, Lafayette is off to a 4-6 start with each of its wins coming consecutively before a three-game losing streak, which the Leopards are looking to snap when making the trip to Hanover. Lafayette is coming off a 68-47 road loss to hot-shooting Monmouth, who made 11-of-21 from beyond the arc. Abby Antognoli and Makayla Andrews both average double figures in the scoring column for the Leopards.

PREVIOUS EDUCATION DAYS
Prior to last season's loss to Drexel, the Big Green had won three straight Education Day games. Dartmouth downed Maine in 2019, Boston University in 2018 and New Hampshire in 2017.

IVY LEAGUE PLAY APPROACHING
Following Thursday's game, the Big Green are off until Saturday, Jan. 6 when Brown visits for the Ivy League opener. Division III VTSU Lyndon visits on Sunday, Jan. 7 for Dartmouth's final non-conference game. The five-game homestand continues with Penn (Saturday, Jan. 13) and Princeton (Monday, Jan. 15).