For the women's basketball team, Winter Break was a busy — and often frustrating — three weeks.
With seven games over three weeks, Princeton (3-9 overall) approached its break schedule as a chance to find its rhythm before the begining of league play this Friday. But after a series of inconsistent performances, it's still not clear if the Tigers have hit their stride.
Princeton entered four of its games as underdogs, needing to play a perfect 40 minutes to win. Although the Tigers played extremely well for stretches, they could not pull off upsets in any of the contests. They came closest against Georgia Tech, losing on a pair of free throws that came with time expired.
"A lot of the games we would have had to play great to win, but we didn't give ourselves a chance," senior guard Mary Cate Opila said. "It was a bit of a disappointment that we didn't play all that hot."
Princeton's uneven play carried over to its games against supposedly "weaker" opponents. Still, the Tigers won two of those three.
The Opener: Hofstra
The break began on a disappointing note, as Princeton fell to Hofstra (4-6), 55-49, after leading 49-48 with two minutes, 28 seconds to play. With the game on the line, the Tigers went cold, while the Pride hit five-of-six free throws to steal a win.
Sophomore guard Katy O'Brien scored 14 points, including four threes, and sophomore post Becky Brown added 12, but the rest of the Tigers shot just 37 percent from the field.
Sinking the Seahawks: Wagner
Princeton rebounded three nights later, running away from Wagner (4-6), 65-44. The Tigers led by just five at intermission but quickly put the game out of reach.
O'Brien hit four three-pointers for the second straight game to lead the way. Meanwhile, freshmen forwards Lockwood and Digovich controlled the interior, combining for 22 points and 18 rebounds.
Turnover Time: Wake Forest
The momentum did not carry over, however, as Princeton hosted Wake Forest (8-7). The Demon Deacons exploited 31 Tiger turnovers to the tune of 32 points and waltzed to an easy 58-41 win.
The Demon Deacons stifled the Princeton attack by pressuring the pass that initiates the Tigers' offense — the entry pass to the high post. Making matters worse, Princeton played without Brown, who was unavailable due to a concussion.
The Tigers were able to keep the game close in the first half with hot shooting, but when they cooled off after the break Wake Forest took control with a 19-4 run.
Close Call: Georgia Tech
The Tigers next hosted Georgia Tech (10-3). Against its toughest opponent of the season, Princeton responded with its best performance to date. With 7.2 seconds to play and a one point lead, the Tigers needed a single defensive stop to win the game — but they would not get it.
The Yellow Jacket's Megan Isom drove the length of the court and fed Alex Stewart, who hosited a leaning shot from the left block as time expired. The shot missed badly, but junior post Maureen McCracken was called for a blocking foul, giving Stewart a chance to win the game. Alone at the line, she hit both foul shots, giving Georgia Tech the 67-66 victory, despite Princeton's attempt to ice her with a timeout.
Once again, O'Brien carried the Tigers from the outside, hitting five threes en route to 17 points. Her output was matched by sophomore forward Ali Smith — normally a substitute inserted for defensive prowess — who made the most of a rare opportunity to start.
After the lead ricocheted back and forth much of the contest, seven straight points from sophomore center Becky Brown gave the Tigers a 66-62 lead with under a minute left. A Georgia Tech three and a Princeton shot clock violation then set up the final play.
Out West: Montana
After a short respite for Christmas, the Tigers traveled west to Montana, for the Lady Griz Holiday Tournament. Princeton opened against host Montana (10-3), falling 68-54.
Barron started both Brown and McCracken in an attempt to combat the Lady Griz's superior size. The ploy allowed Princeton to lead early on, as Brown dropped in 16 points. But both posts were plagued by foul trouble, limiting their second half playing time and allowing Montana to pull away late.
Vandalized: Idaho
The Tigers dropped the consolation game the next night to Idaho (9-1), 62-54. The nation's leading scorer, Emily Faurholt, led the way for the Vandals with 26 points. Seven came in the first 11 minutes as Idaho built a 20-6 lead. Princeton used a second half rally to close the deficit to four points with a minute to play, but could come no closer.
No. 100: Lafayette
Saturday, in their final game of the break, the Tigers began the new year by defeating winless Lafayette (0-9), 66-60. The win was the 100th of Barron's career as a head coach.
Princeton shot just 28 percent, but the Leopards shot even worse. The Tigers led by 17 before a furious late rally closed the gap.
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