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Alarie returns to lead women’s basketball past Quinnipiac

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Bella Alarie had 16 points and 19 rebounds in her season debut Saturday

Saturday evening, the Princeton women’s basketball team (3–7, 0–0) defeated the Quinnipiac Bobcats (4–5) in Jadwin Gymnasium, 54–42, to add another win to its non-conference schedule. Junior forward Bella Alarie, the 2018 Ivy League Player of the Year, made her comeback after an injury. Alarie scored 16 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks, two steals, and two assists during this game, solidifying the hashtag that the team’s Twitter account gave her, #BellaBuckets. This was Alarie’s 21st double-double in her career at Princeton. She is currently two double-doubles behind Ellen DeVoe and Margaret Meier for second place in Princeton’s record. Alarie was rewarded for her excellence on the court by being named Ivy League Player of the Week yesterday for the 10th time.

Sophomore Carlie Littlefield also played an important role in the win with 16 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Littlefield has scored double digit points in eight out of the 10 games the Tigers have played this season. Littlefield has been a consistent force for the Tigers during the times that Alarie was injured and together they have proven to be powerful. Senior Gabrielle Rush also scored double digit points, contributing 11 to the scoreboard.

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The Tigers shined from the free throw line against Quinnipiac, with their team percentage sitting at .778, while Quinnipiac went .500 from behind the line. Littlefield went four for four while Rush, as well as senior Sydney Jordan, shot 75 percent from the line. Alarie also contributed, with 71 percent of her free throws made Saturday evening. Defensively, Alarie led the team. With her career-high of 19 rebounds — nine offensive and 10 defensive — she was able to set the Tigers up to score more. Jordan contributed six rebounds and Rush added four to the stats. The Tigers also caused 21 Quinnipiac turnovers, the highest number of turnovers ever by the Bobcats. The Tigers also held the Bobcats to their lowest total score, 42, since March 7, 2016.

The Tigers finished the first quarter up 14–7. During the second half, Quinnipiac made their comeback as they were trailing by five and went on a 7–2 run to tie the game at 19 with three minutes left in the first half. At halftime, the Tigers regained their lead 23–21.

As the second half started, the Tigers began to pull away from the Bobcats, with the score hitting 28–21 early on. Quinnipiac didn’t give up and closed the score within two, 30–28, before the Tigers took a strong 12-point lead, making the score 42–30 as the third quarter came to a close. Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Tigers were up by nine, 47–38, but only allowed four more points from the Bobcats as Princeton scored seven more to finalize the score at 54–42.

The Tigers will play Monmouth this Tuesday, Dec. 11, in West Long Branch at 7 p.m. before heading back to Jadwin to face Marist on Saturday, Dec. 15. 

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