Women's Basketball: Title defense begins with 83-48 rout

The women’s basketball team has gone on a tear the last several weeks, winning four consecutive games, including an 83-48 victory at Penn in Saturday’s Ivy League opener.

Princeton (11-4 overall, 1-0 Ivy League) got balanced scoring against the Quakers (7-4, 0-1) who entered the game with the second-best overall record in the league. Senior center and co-captain Devona Allgood was one of five scorers in double figures, scoring 13 points, while sophomore guard Nicole Hung tallied 11. Junior center Meg Bowen, junior forward Niveen Rasheed and senior guard and co-captain Lauren Edwards each added 10 points. Rasheed’s 10 points brought her career total to an impressive 900.

Princeton also had a season-high 22 assists in the game, showing one of its best offensive performances of the year.

“The win at Penn was important for our momentum going into the league, and especially our weekend ahead with Cornell and Columbia,” Edwards said. “We were all pleased with our effort, and it was great to see everyone on the team contribute. All 13 players stepped up to the challenge.”

Rasheed echoed Edwards’ thoughts. “That was huge to make a statement against a good Penn team,” she said. “Ivy League play is very unpredictable — anything can happen on any given night. It was important for us to set the tone for the rest of the season.”

Before the victory against Penn, Princeton racked up three out-of-conference wins following a loss at No. 4 Stanford. The Tigers finished their California trip by defeating Santa Clara (8-7), 77-61. Rasheed, who scored 20 points and collected six rebounds, and Edwards, who scored 13 points, led Princeton in the victory. The Tigers also got key contributions from Allgood and junior forward Kate Miller, who each added 12 points.

Princeton next headed to New York to face Hofstra (11-3), and the Tigers held on for a 74-69 victory. Once again, Edwards and Rasheed topped Princeton scorers, racking up 17 and 14 points respectively. The Tigers also got some key contributions off the bench from Hung and Bowen, who scored 10 points each.

In its final non-conference game, Princeton got its first of two wins in Philadelphia against Drexel (7-7), 63-51. Rasheed had a monster game, scoring 22 points and adding 14 rebounds and earning Ivy League Co-Player of the Week honors.

“The last four games have been great to watch and certainly fun to be a part of,” Edwards said. “Between Hofstra, Drexel and Penn, we have played really versatile teams. The types of players, offenses and defenses have all presented us with different challenges, but we have found a way to come out with a win in each of those games. I’m especially proud of the team, because all of those wins have been on the road.”

The Tigers have been tested by a brutal non-league slate: Only one of Princeton’s first 15 opponents has a record below .500, and the teams are a combined 137-64 when not playing the Tigers. Rasheed credited the Tigers’ recent success to their challenging out-of-conference schedule.

“Our pre-league schedule was meant to challenge us and make us better in the long run,” she said. “We lost some tough games, but each game made us better in the end and is why we are playing so well together lately.”

The team also got some positive news with the release of the first national Ratings Percentage Index rankings. The Tigers were ranked 12th in the first installment of the RPI, demonstrating just how difficult Princeton’s schedule has been up to this point.

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Despite the positive news, players are not paying much attention to rankings. “The RPI rankings have never really been a major focus of ours,” Edwards said. “We take our games one at a time, and we always look to compete, no matter who our opponents are.”

“We have a collective goal to win the Ivy League and get that bid to the tournament, and we know that means taking it a game at a time,” Rasheed said. “It’s great to be acknowledged for our tough schedule this year, but rankings do not mean anything unless you prove yourself game by game.”

Princeton will continue Ivy League play with their first home game in a month, taking on Cornell at Jadwin Gymnasium on Friday.