Two of the top teams in the league are getting together tonight in a televised game that could be our last real chance at an exciting race for the Ivy title. Meanwhile, the third remaining true contender looks to keep pace and two members of the Carril coaching tree face off in a game each coach very much needs. And given that no team has won the league with more than three losses in the past 20 years, we would appear to have a virtual 14-Game Tournament elimination game tonight between two three-loss teams.
Penn (12-7, 3-0 Ivy) at Yale (8-10, 4-1 Ivy) – 6:00 pm ET (CN8)
Gametracker | CN8 video | Penn audio | Yale audio
Both teams won last night, setting up the most highly anticipated early season game in Ivy League play this year. The stakes for Yale are about as high as they can get at this stage of the season: win and the Bulldogs are truly in the thick of the Ivy race for the first time since 2001-02, but lose and they fall to the periphery of the hunt. This is the final game of the Quakers’ four-game road swing to open Ivy play, so if Penn were to win in New Haven, it figures to be a very heavy favorite in every other game the rest of the way. Lee Amphitheater has been a house of horrors for the Quaker seniors, who won there for the first time in their careers last season. However, despite comparable talent in their respective programs over the past seven years, Glen Miller brings a 10-4 record against James Jones into Saturday’s game. This one could end up pretty high-scoring, as both teams like to push tempo.
Pomeroy says: Penn 77, Yale 71
Cornell (11-8, 4-1 Ivy) at Harvard (9-10, 2-3 Ivy) – 7:00 pm ET
Live stats | Cornell audio | Harvard video | Harvard audio
Given what transpired last night, this doesn’t figure to be a very competitive game. Cornell comes in on a four-game winning streak, while Harvard looked abysmal defensively last night, getting absolutely torched by Columbia. The Crimson has had all kinds of problems defending the drive-and-kick this season, and we saw that again last night. This is particularly bad news when facing a Big Red team with two point guards out there most of the time, and two big-time three-point threats in Ryan Wittman and Louis Dale.
Pomeroy says: Cornell 76, Harvard 75
Columbia (11-8, 2-3 Ivy) at Dartmouth (7-11, 2-3 Ivy) – 7:00 pm ET
Live stats | Columbia audio | WKCR audio (free) | Dartmouth video | Dartmouth audio
The Lions snapped out of their losing streak last night in a big way, putting up more points in the first half (53) than they scored over 40 minutes in any of their three previous games. Dartmouth finds itself in need of a similar turnaround after dropping four of its last five. The Lions may have a tougher time getting open looks against the Big Green defense, and probably will need to exploit their edge in the low post to leave Hanover with the win. Since both teams are 2-3, the loser almost certainly is out of the running in the league and will have to re-shift its focus to a first-division finish.
Pomeroy says: Columbia 60, Dartmouth 58
Princeton (9-8, 0-3 Ivy) at Brown (6-14, 1-4 Ivy) – 7:00 pm ET
Princeton audio | Brown audio
Craig Robinson probably wanted to face his alma mater under very different circumstances. Princeton enters the game 0-3 in the Ivy League for the first time ever, and Brown is just 1-7 in its last eight games and really needs a win. It will be interesting to see how Robinson’s modified Princeton system looks against Scott’s version. If it weren’t for the limited number of possessions, this game might set an NCAA record for combined three-pointers by two teams. One thing is certain: at the end of the night, someone is going to be feeling much better about themselves, and the other is going to be feeling very low.
Pomeroy says: Princeton 46, Brown 45
