In what could be a preview of the Ivy Madness set-finals, women's basketball (20–6 overall, 11–2 Ivy League) secured a commanding 70–58 victory over the Harvard Crimson (21–4, 10–3) in Cambridge. All five of Princeton’s starters scored double-digit points in the Friday night victory, with senior forward Parker Hill leading the way with a game high 17 points.
The last time these two teams played, sophomore guard Ashley Chea drilled a game-winning buzzer beater to beat Harvard 52–50.
Ahead of the Friday game, ESPN’s Bracketology by Charlie Creme had Columbia, Harvard, and Princeton all making the NCAA Tournament, which would be the first ever three-bid season for the Ivy League. While the season isn’t over yet, Princeton’s resume is stacking up solidly against the rest of the NCAA after Friday's Quadrant 1 win.
“The Ivy League is really, really good and competitive and can compete with those in the Power Four and those on the national stage,” head coach Carla Berube told The Daily Princetonian after the game. “We’ve shown it both in the regular season and in NCAA Tournament history. It’s not surprising that there are three really good Ivy League teams that are vying for a place in the NCAA Tournament.”
The Tigers came out firing from the opening tip, setting the tone early. All five starters put themselves on the board within the first five minutes of play, fueling a scorching 13–4 start. Sophomore guard Fadima Tall drilled a momentum-building triple off an assist from sophomore guard Ashley Chea with 6:29 to play.
“[The playoff implications] were why we were able to come out with a lot of energy, intensity, aggressiveness, but also a good amount of poise and calmness,” Berube explained to the ‘Prince.’
Berube attributed the keys to victory as “breaking their press pretty consistently and then being able to execute on both the defensive side of the basketball.”
With 4:30 left in the first, the Tigers were firing at an impressive 6–7 clip from the field, with Chea leading the charge. The star guard displayed an impressive amount of confidence shooting the ball, a trait she has continually displayed since the very beginning of the season.
Despite a Harvard scoring surge late in the first quarter, Princeton held firm. A transition layup from Chea off a last-second steal by sophomore guard Olivia Hutcherson sent the Tigers into the break with a 22–16 lead.
In the second, it was more of the same. The Tigers continued to shoot lights out from the field. With 6:25 to play, Tall hit back-to-back threes, increasing the lead to 10.
When asked about how she plans to continue her shooting streak, Tall pointed to practice.
Throughout the rest of the half, the Tigers maintained control, playing the game at their pace and minimizing mistakes. Despite Harvard’s relentless and effective press, Princeton kept their composure and didn’t let the on-ball pressure get to them, something that would change in the second half.
Going into the break, the Orange and Black were up 40–29. However, one concern loomed: The bench remained scoreless in the first half and finished the game with just three points, all from senior forward Katie Thiers. Depth will be important for the Tigers heading into Ivy Madness, and it will be a factor to keep an eye on moving forward.
Katie Thiers is a staff Features writer for the ‘Prince.’
Throughout the third quarter, Princeton kept their foot on the gas, outscoring Harvard 13–11. Although the bench was quiet in this game, the points still came in from different directions, with Belker, Hutcherson, Chea, Hill, and Thiers all contributing to building the lead.
In the fourth, Harvard’s press began to give Princeton some trouble. The Tigers ended the game with 21 turnovers compared with the Crimson’s 11.
All season long, ball security has been a point of emphasis for Berube’s squad. Princeton averages 15.1 turnovers a game, while the Ivy League-leading Columbia Lions average 13.8 and Harvard averages 12.5.
“We’re going to have to watch the film and then we’ll make any changes and adjustments,” Berube told the ‘Prince’ when asked about Harvard’s press. “We’ll see before we have to play them.”
With 3:09 left to go in the game, the Crimson had whittled the Tigers’ lead to just six, 60–54. The Crimson had the momentum, but Princeton’s poise proved decisive. Though the press forced mistakes, the Tigers refused to break.
Princeton remained in control for the entirety of this game, earning a convincing win to add to their March resume.
Doug Schwartz is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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