JULIA TIERNAN/YH The men's squash team is used to being on top.

Sports Shorts

All's well that ends well: Elis meet expectations with No. 4 finish

For the Elis, there was little in question going into the weekend. "We knew Harvard and Princeton were better than us," Talbott said. "Against Princeton we had four or five close games, but in the end they had more talent." And overcoming Trinity is a virtual pipe dream. "Trinity just cleaned everybody's clocks," Talbott said. "They have eight international pro-caliber players, and they are really taking it to a different level." Harvard co-captain Tim Wyant '00 also noted that the weekend confirmed pre-tournament expectations. "Most people would have predicted Harvard and Princeton to be vying for the Ivy title, with Yale a close third," he said. "As far as the rest, those teams don't have a very viable chance."

The dominance of Trinity's Goliath team aside, Yale's performance was far from disappointing. "There was a very high level of play, and though we did lose, the freshmen played well and almost won two games," captain Deji Olukuton, CC '00, said. The underclassmen were forced to boost their level of play, because Josh Barenbaum, CC '01, and top-four player Chris Olsen, SM '02, were both injured. Olukuton also noted that Ali Shirazi, ES '00, filled in against Williams and won his first varsity game.

For next year, Olukuton offered a team goal: "to foster a team, not an individual environment—there are individuals with enormous potential that has not been realized yet." If these goals materialize, Yale can hope to see further improvement in a squad that has consistently vyed for top national rankings. The Bulldogs have never been ranked lower than eighth in the country during Talbott's tenure, and last season culminated in a No. 3 overall finish. "Yale is very solid," Wyant said. "Last year was the strongest team they've had in my four years playing, and this year is definitely their second-best.
—Julia Paolitto

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Elis hope for reason to cheer in captain's last hurrah

After eking out a win over Cornell on Sat., Feb. 26 and falling to Columbia on Fri., Feb. 29, the women's basketball team returns to Payne Whitney this weekend to finish up its regular-season schedule. Unfazed by the recent halt to their 7-1 midseason run, the Elis are eager to end with a victory. "We're pretty fired up," forward Alyson Miller, JE '01, said. "Everyone's really looking forward to finishing the season on a high note."

Despite clinching at least one victory over conference opponents Cornell, Columbia, Brown, and Princeton, the Bulldogs are now out of contention for the Ivy crown after their 70-68 overtime loss to Harvard on Sat., Feb. 19. "Unfortunately, we came up short," captain Kelly Denit, DC '00, said.

This weekend's contests mark the finale of Denit's Yale career. After starting all four seasons for the Bulldogs, this year she faced the task of serving as captain while her team was adjusting to new coaches. "I think she had a fairly difficult role being the representative to the team and being the extension of the coach's authority where attitudes and style weren't set," Miller said.

Denit's final appearance will be especially poignant for her teammates because she is the lone senior on the roster. "We're kinda broken up about [Kelly's last game,]" Miller said. "Usually on a team you have more than one senior, but this season, everyone's loyalties and attention have been focused on Kelly."

Denit sees good things in store for her team. "They definitely have a bright future," she said. The Elis hope to fulfill her predictions by defeating Princeton on Fri., Mar. 3 and Pennsylvania on Sat., Mar. 4. Earlier in the season, the Elis pounced on the Tigers, 68-67, but fell to the Quakers, 70-67.
—Sara Sani

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Deflated by home losses

As Pennsylvania and Princeton gracefully waltz to their respective first-and second-place finishes, the rest of the Ivy League is in the midst of an all-out war for third. As of Fri., Feb. 25, the Bulldogs were tied for third at 5-5 and faced a two-game home stand against seemingly beatable Columbia and Cornell squads. Two wins would have locked up third place, cementing an amazing turnaround from last year's 2-12 last-place finish.

Instead, after two disheartening losses, Yale is again staring the Ivy cellar in the face. Prior to Friday, the Elis had beaten Columbia 65-59 on the strength of 33 points from guard Chris Leanza, SY '03. The victory marked their first road win in 23 attempts, and they expected to perform equally well at home. In the team's second match-up, however, the Lions held Leanza to only12 points, and when the buzzer sounded, Yale had lost 72-67.

When Ray Mercedes '01 and the Big Red came to town the following night, Yale was visibly not ready to play. Brooding over the previous night's loss and missing star center Neil Yanke, MC '01, due to a leg injury, the Bulldogs dug themselves a hole early on and were unable to climb out, finally losing 64-58.

Now 5-7, the Bulldogs must face perennial powerhouses Princeton and Penn on the road this weekend. Barring an unlikely upset, the Elis could find themselves in the bottom half of the Ivy heap, a disappoin-ting finish for a team that started their season with a league record of 3-0.
—Geoffrey Chepiga

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