PRINCETON, N.J. — Wrapping up a weekend of back-to-back Ivy League games, the Dartmouth women's basketball team visited defending Ivy Madness champion Princeton and wasn't able to stay within striking distance down the stretch during Saturday's 68-42 loss.
The Big Green moved to 7-18 on the season and 1-12 in the Ivy League, while Princeton, who currently receives votes in the AP Top 25 Poll, improved to 22-4 and 12-1 in the Ancient Eight.
A slow start and a rocky third quarter were trouble for Dartmouth, who played even with the Tigers during the second quarter and were only outscored by one in the fourth. The Big Green trailed by 11 at halftime (33-22), but faced a 25-point deficit by the end of the third.
Clare Meyer led a balanced Dartmouth contingent with 10 points, and
Victoria Page and
Nina Minicozzi followed with eight apiece. Minicozzi hit 2-of-3 from deep and grabbed a team-high five rebounds. The Tigers, also balanced in their scoring, were paced by Madison St. Rose's 12, and 10 from Skye Belker, who was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field. Fadima Tall recorded a game-high seven rebounds.
Princeton scored the game's first eight points before Meyer connected on her first of three first-quarter field goals – she accounted for all six of the Big Green's points in the opening frame. It wasn't until
Victoria Page's layup at the 9:06 mark of the second that another Dartmouth player was in the scoring column. That bucket was followed by a Minicozzi 3-pointer, cutting the Princeton lead to single digits (20-11) and providing the Big Green with some second-quarter momentum. Later in the quarter, a triple from
Carrington Washburn helped Dartmouth hang with Princeton, who previously led by 14.
The Tigers shot better than 50 percent from the field in the third quarter, outscoring the Big Green 20-6 and taking a commanding lead into the fourth. Dartmouth was never able to come within 20 after going down by 21 following a St. Rose bucket at the 2:46 mark of the third.
The Big Green's 2023-24 season concludes on Tuesday, March 5 with a trip to Harvard. The game is set for 8 p.m. and will be streamed live on ESPN+.