Green, Crimson lead Penn's foes

The Penn women's basketball team could almost taste an Ivy League championship last year before it slipped away in the final few games of the season. The title is within reach once again for the Red and Blue. Here's a look at what the Quakers will have to do to secure the elusive Ivy crown. Dartmouth is the biggest obstacle for Penn on the road to the league title. The Big Green have won the Ancient Eight in each of the last two years, and are returning a number of strong players. Forward Katharine Hanks, one of the best rookies in the league last year, is expected to perform well for Dartmouth after averaging 15 points and 6.9 rebounds last season. Seniors Sherryta Freeman and Stephanie Kinnear will both provide vital support in the backcourt. Freeman averaged six points last year, while Kinnear was second in rebounds only to Hanks. Despite a strong returning team, one thing that may weaken the Big Green this year is the loss of Courtney Banghart, a two-time first team All-Ivy guard, who currently holds the league record for career three-pointers. The Quakers, however, will have plenty of time to warm up before their first bout with Dartmouth on February 10. Harvard will also be a major threat to Penn's prospects for an Ivy win. Although the Crimson suffered some major setbacks last year, including having their coach diagnosed with breast cancer and losing five players to injuries, this year should prove to be a different story. Senior co-captain Melissa Johnson will return to the court this year after sitting out the second half of last year's season with a torn ACL. Johnson had 12.2 points and 11.4 rebounds per game before her injury last year, and was named All-Ivy honorable mention despite sitting out half the season. Junior point guard Jennifer Monti will also be a force for Harvard, having averaged 8.9 points and 6.1 assists per game last year. Harvard and Penn had the same record in the league last year, and with the return of many of their injured players, the Crimson present a formidable challenge to the Quakers. Penn will first face Harvard on February 9. Rounding out the contenders for this years Ivy title are Brown and Yale. The Quakers' hopes for an Ivy title were spoiled last year in consecutive losses to the Bears and Elis. Although Penn is heavily favored over both these teams, they are definite forces. Brown sophomore guard Barbara Maloni rocked Penn last season when she scored 40 points against the Quakers, contributing heavily to the late-season win. The Bears are a relatively young team, but they have a nucleus of talented players who will continue to drive toward the top of the Ivy League. Yale is in an outside position for the crown as well, as they only lost two players to graduation and ended last season with nine wins in their final 14 games. Elis senior Alyson Miller played a big role in last season's success, chalking up 12 points and seven rebounds per game. The Elis also return sophomore Maria Smear, a competent point guard and member of the 2000 Ivy League All-Rookie team. The return of the bulk of last year's players gives Yale a leg up in terms of team dynamics. Despite the tough competition in the league this year, Penn was favored in a recent media poll to win the Ivy League over Dartmouth. Penn returns an experienced team, with senior All-American forward Diana Caramanico, senior guard Erin Ladley, junior forward Julie Epton and junior center Jessica Allen, all significant forces on last year's team. While the departure of star senior guard Mandy West will surely hurt the Quakers, this year's team retains a solid corps of players who are well-equipped to handle their Ivy League opponents. The three remaining teams in the Ancient Eight -- Cornell, Columbia and Princeton -- are considered definite longshots for paydirt this season. Still, the top five are not so much better that they can shrug off these vital league games. After last year's close encounter with the league championship, the Quakers know they have the skill and experience to go all the way this time around. Penn has lined up a number of tough early-season games against St. Joe's, Northwestern and La Salle in order to gain game experience. St. Joe's is ranked No. 32 in the nation. Although this marks the second consecutive year the polls have predicted Penn will win the Ivy League, the Quakers will be pushing hard to make it the first year they prove to be true.

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