Women's Basketball: Tigers test perfect Ivy League record in N.Y.

Princeton leads the Ivy League in many statistical categories, including scoring margin and rebounding. After winning 10 straight games, including last Saturday’s 84-56 demolition of Harvard, the Tigers will look to build on their recent success as they visit conference foes Columbia and Cornell.

The team will head to New York this weekend coming off of their defeat of the Crimson, which was huge in both margin of victory and importance. Senior guard and captain Lauren Edwards said she was not worried about a possible letdown later in the season.

“We know that we’re only halfway through Ivy League,” Edwards said. “Even though we’ve done quite well and had some of the outcomes we aimed for, our team and coaching staff know that the battle for the league title isn’t over and there are still seven more games to go.”

Edwards is one of many veteran leaders on the Tigers, averaging 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Her fellow captain, senior center Devona Allgood, has added 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game so far this year. Junior forward Niveen Rasheed, the leading candidate to win Ivy League Player of the Year, leads both Princeton and the conference with averages of 17 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Another key player who has emerged recently for the Tigers off the bench is sophomore guard Nicole Hung, who has averaged 11 points per game over the last three games and scored 14 against Yale.

“Nicole has certainly done a great job so far in the Ivy League,” Edwards said. “That girl can really bring a spark to our offense, because she knows how to get to the rim with her quickness and finesse. She is a great player who will definitely play a big role in the Ivy League in the rest of her time at Princeton.”

Looking ahead, Princeton has its sights set on two in-conference games this weekend: a Friday visit to Columbia (2-19, 0-7) in Manhattan and a Saturday showdown against Cornell (9-12, 3-4) in Ithaca. Princeton defeated these two opponents the first time around by a combined score of 158-70. However, there are new challenges facing the Tigers as they match up against these teams for a second time.

“This time around we play Cornell and Columbia on the road, so we will face the challenge of playing in away gyms,” Edwards said. “We are looking to bring the same intensity to these games that we brought to our first two meetings against Cornell and Columbia.”

The first game of the weekend series will showcase Princeton and Columbia, a team the Tigers beat by nearly 60 points the first time the two squared off. Columbia has struggled so far this season, winning just two games and none in the conference. Columbia is led by Tyler Simpson, whose 11.9 points per game lead her team. The Lions have also gotten solid contributions from guard Melissa Shafer, who has started every game of the season and is averaging 10.7 points.

The Tigers will face Cornell on Saturday night in Ithaca, a rematch of a 64-35 victory in January. The Big Red is led by forward Clare Fitzpatrick, who is averaging 11 points and 6.7 rebounds per game this season. Another player to look out for is Allyson DiMagno, a rising star for Cornell, who is averaging 10.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Princeton will take on Columbia at 7 p.m. Friday and Cornell at 7 p.m. Saturday.