Women's Basketball: Tigers hope to ride to another victory

Princeton (4-2) hits the court against the Broncs (0-5) in the first of a four-game homestand, which includes matches against Navy, Lafayette and Drexel.

“Our team has been taking this season one game at a time,” sophomore Kate Miller said. “Going into every game, we focus on the defensive end, rebounding and offensive execution.”

The Tigers’ rivalry with Rider dates back to the 1972-73 season, and they have dominated the court againt the Broncs for much of that time (Princeton holds an 18-8 advantage in the all-time series).

Last year the Tigers downed Rider 83-57; sophomore forward Niveen Rasheed led the offensive effort. Rasheed recorded a double-double in that win over the Broncs, earning 21 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, five steals and no turnovers.

This weekend Princeton will again look to Rasheed, who leads the team in scoring with 91 points on the season, to light up the board for another win.

Adding to the Tigers’ strong offensive front is senior guard Addie Micir, who seconds Rasheed in scoring with 83 points and who hit six three-pointers in Princeton’s win over Delaware last weekend.

Junior center Devona Allgood comes third in scoring with 71 points, and junior guard Lauren Edwards follows that with 58 points. Together, these top four scorers have between themselves accounted for more than three-fourths of the team’s total points this season.

“The strengths of our team so far this season have been our toughness on defense and our balanced attack,” Micir said. “We have played good team defense and have all been threats on the offensive end, making it hard for other teams to defend us.”

The Tigers’ defense is led by Allgood, who has nine blocks, nine steals and 25 defensive rebounds; Edwards, who has seven blocks, seven steals and 18 defensive rebounds; and Rasheed, who has the team-high 34 defensive rebounds and 14 steals.

“Our main key to success comes from the defensive end,” Miller said. “Our coaches stress defensive intensity and consistency, and our defense sets the tone for the entire game. Our offense flows from our defense, so when we lock down on the defensive end, offensive success usually follows.”

As their record indicates, the Broncs have clearly struggled to both stop their opponents’ attack while also finding the bottom of the net. Last weekend against Fairleigh Dickinson, Rider allowed the Knights to go on a 14-point run in the opening minutes of play, while the Broncs themselves had 33 turnovers.

Regardless of Rider’s record, the Tigers know better than to take any team for granted and will focus on perfecting their offensive attack in order to achieve a victory.

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“Our balanced attack has always been a strong point for our team,” Edwards said. “We have threats from all positions, and everybody on the team brings in something different. We certainly still have a lot to improve on as the season progresses, and each game we play will help us find what those weak spots are. The best part about our team is that we all know we can always get better individually and as a team, and that we are willing to put in the hard work to get better every practice and game. Rider will be our first home game in a while, so it’ll be great to get back on the court in Jadwin and play at home.”