The women’s basketball team returns to the road after its first weekend sweep in three seasons this weekend. The Bulldogs (9–11, 4–2 Ivy), who currently sit in second place in the Ivy League, will travel to face archrival Harvard (12–7, 3–2) on Friday and Dartmouth (8–11, 3–2) on Saturday.
The Elis have won four of their last five.
“We have a run in us,” head coach Chris Gobrecht said. “This team has improved.”
Coming off of two home wins over Cornell and Columbia, Yale will face a Crimson team that boasts four players averaging double figures in points. Harvard has had the same fate against the same Ivy teams Yale has played: wins over Penn, Cornell and Columbia and a loss at Princeton. The Cantabs swept the series last season and have won four of the last five meetings. Harvard leads the all-time series 39–30.
Dartmouth, the defending Ivy League Champion, is led by the reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Brittney Smith. The team, whose two Ivy League losses are to Columbia and Princeton, won both of last season’s meetings with Yale, to make it five straight and nine of 10 against the Bulldogs. Dartmouth leads the all-time series 49–15.
Last weekend the Bulldogs unleashed a much improved offense, shooting over 60 percent in the first half against both Cornell and Columbia. The 81 points the Elis scored against Columbia were the most points scored in the Ivy League season.
Yale’s improved offensive efficiency is due in large part to guard Yoyo Greenfield ’11, who scored 20 points against Columbia last Saturday. Greenfield is shooting over 50 percent from the field and behind the arc in Ivy League play.
Guard Megan Vasquez ’13 has also been key for the Blue. Vasquez was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week for the third time this season after averaging 13.5 points and 5.5 assists per game last weekend. Vasquez leads the Bulldogs and is 10th in the Ivy League in scoring.
Down low, forward Mady Gobrecht ’11 has consistently filled the stat sheet. Gobrecht is the only Ivy League player to rank in the league top 10 in field goal percentage (fifth, .453), rebounds (eight, 6.5 rpg), assists (eighth, 2.8 apg) and blocked shots (seventh, 1.3 bpg).
Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. tip-offs.