Women face Penn on Saturday in Ivy clashto shoot more accurately than any other squad allows. Compounding the issue is the fact that Princeton is one of the Ivy League’s top offensive threats. The Tigers are the Ivy League’s second-best scoring offense and most accurate shooting team.
Needless to say, this weekend will be a defensive test for the Red. But the team is well aware of its inability to stop teams from scoring and has been working to combat the problem.
“It has been a point emphasis the last three weeks,” Smith said. “I think we’re more prepared for what we’re going to face [this time].”
By buckling down defensively, the squad will look to avoid getting into a shootout with a Princeton offense that has the potential to run away with the game.
“It’s tough because they have threats from every position,” Krasna said. “One of the reasons they have a great shooting percentage is their great post game.”
Stopping that inside presence and disrupting the Tigers’ ball movement will be keys for the Red.
Offensively, the team will rely on its leading scorer and rebounder, freshman Jeomi Maduka, to have a big game. Maduka is coming off a career- and Cornell season-best 29 points against Yale, and recently earned her sixth Ivy League Rookie of the Week award this season. Krasna is also fresh off a career performance. She scorched the net for 26 points last weekend against the Bulldogs.
Still, Smith believes it’s going to take a team effort offensively to win the game. Smith pointed out that other players have stepped up despite injuries to freshman point guard Kayleen Fitzsimmons and junior Claire Perry.
On Saturday, the Red will be looking to prove that it truly is a quality team when it faces Penn (3-17, 1-6), the Ivy League’s sixth-best team. Despite being next to each other in the standings, the Red has a significant advantage in the win column, and two losses this weekend would keep the squad in the same spot in the standings.
However, the team wants to show it can challenge for the Ivy crown by beating any opponent it faces, whether that foe be above or below Cornell in the standings.
The Red is focused on winning-out the weekend, but believes that Penn is not as weak as its record indicates – which could make the match up very difficult.
“Despite Penn’s record, there are some talented players.” Smith said. “Every team is that much better on their home court