It was almost the perfect ending to their careers. There were introductions before the games, fireworks and highlights during the game and smiling faces in the locker room. There was joy in Mudville for all involved.
Until the other Ivy League scores rolled around. The news that Princeton had come back against Cornell on Friday night was like a blow to the stomach, leaving Dartmouth grasping for its collective NCAA tournament breath. But like the heavyweight fighters they are, the Big Green got right back up and took out their anger on Brown, registering a knockout of the Bears early in the first half. Only to get slapped in the face by those pesky scores, relaying the news of yet another Princeton victory.
And so a weekend of flawless basketball by a mature and dynamic Big Green squad lifted the Big Green everywhere except in the standings. With one game left in their season of destiny, Dartmouth sits right behind a Tiger team they have beaten twice. They face one of their toughest tests of the year to keep their hopes alive against the team whose miracle shot at the buzzer put them in the dreaded position they face now.
If this were the medieval England, the two squads would put their biggest player in armor on horseback and joust to determine who gets the NCAA tournament bid. Princeton's tallest player, Brooke Lockwood, stands 6'2", the same height as the Big Green's Katie O'Connor. Advantage Even.
In the Old West, each side would choose their most deadly shooter and send them out onto the dusty streets in front of the saloon. In this case, Princeton would send out junior guard Maggie Langlas, in orange and black chaps, averaging 14 points per game, fifth in the conference in shooting and second in three-point shooting. Taking the shot for Dartmouth would be Courtney Banghart '00 and her 15 points per game, one spot ahead of Langlas in scoring but two spots behind in shooting. Advantage Even.
Fast forward to modern times. No, I'm not talking about pitting an animated Princeton head coach Liz Feeley in a claymation ring against Big Green head coach Chris Wielgus on MTV. Rather, get rid of the glassy backboards, the nylon nets and the polished hardwood floors. Instead put the two teams in a city park with rotting backboards, clanging metal chains as nets and punishing, heat attracting blacktop. Let the two teams play it out for Ivy League supremacy and the girls left standing get to advance to the Big Dance. No formulas, no selection committees, no conference play. Just one pickup game for all of the marbles.
But this week is modern times, and unfortunately the best team among Princeton and Dartmouth may not be the one advancing on to post-season play. Despite beating Princeton by eight points at home and then a convincing 24 points on the road, the Big Green do not control their own destiny. Of course, they can influence it with a win at Harvard tonight, but what will be left is the timeless tradition of scoreboard watching on Wednesday night, when Princeton hosts Penn in their season finale. Forget about breaking out basketballs and hightops for Ivy League supremacy. For Dartmouth, it will be about breaking out the chips and the soda and watching SportsCenter. It is the equivalent of women's NASCAR, with the Green and White Dartmouth car following the Princeton car around the track, hoping for that one small error that will allow them to take the lead.
Most importantly though, Dartmouth needs to come through on their end. With all this talk of hoping for Princeton to lose, the Big Green can't forget to keep the pressure on Princeton with a victory. Nothing would be more devastating for Dartmouth than to lose to Harvard only to watch Penn upset Princeton. Thankfully, Dartmouth should need no motivation tonight in Cambridge. Regardless of Wednesday's outcome, the battle against the Crimson gives Dartmouth a chance to avenge their most crushing defeat of the season. After a Banghart layup gave the Big Green a 63-62 lead, the celebration turned to a wake as freshman Katie Gates banked home a desperation heave from half-court to give Harvard an improbable victory. Sure, there were upset losses on the road to Penn and last-place Columbia that helped put the Big Green in second place, but they weren't the result of a freshman prayer, a desperate toss that caused many sleepless nights.
All hope is not gone. The Tigers needed overtime in January to knock off the Quakers, and as they proved with their victory over the Big Green, Penn can indeed hold its own against the league's best. Dartmouth's blowout of Princeton in New Jersey showed the Tigers were vulnerable at home. Maybe there is just enough magic left for those four seniors to make Princeton do a vanishing trick against Penn.
But let me speak for the basketball purists. Give Dartmouth and Princeton one last tussle to determine who gets to go to the grandest dance of them all. Forget about Dartmouth-Harvard and Penn-Princeton and treat everybody to the matchup they want to see. Only then will we know who is the true champion of the Ivy League.
