Monmouth first foe for w. basketball

Cold weather, early sunsets and winter holidays are either here or fast approaching. It can only mean one thing — it's basketball time at Princeton. This weekend marks the beginning of the women's regular season, as the Tigers take on Monmouth tonight (7 p.m., WPRB).

This will be the first meeting between the two teams since 1980, and the Hawks hold a 2-0 record over the Tigers in head-to-head competition. Nonetheless, Princeton is optimistic about its chances and eager to start the season with a bang.

But Monmouth will pose a formidable challenge, and the Tigers will have to perform their best to come out on top. Princeton will need to shoot consistently, execute its plays with minimal offensive mistakes and play controlled basketball.

Princeton will also look to capitalize on Monmouth mistakes. The Hawks, who scrimmaged the New York Gazelles earlier this year, had 30 turnovers in that game and shot just 32 percent from the field. Yet, despite the errors, Monmouth only lost, 69-64, which bodes well for the team's chances.

A coaches' poll predicted Monmouth, who had a strong 2003-2004 season, to place third in the Northeast Conference. The Hawks made it to their conference championship game last winter and lost narrowly to reigning champion St. Francis.

This season, with the addition of talented freshmen and the retention of all of last year's starters, looks to be just as promising. The Tigers will have to keep an eye on junior guard Niamh Dwyer, a 2004 second team all-NEC selection, who has been one of the Hawks' top scorers.

Monmouth also has the depth to draw from its underclassman pool, with freshman Veronica Randolph sinking a lot of preseason shots. The depth of the squad will prove to be one of its strengths as the season progresses, and the Hawks' ability to dip into and rely on its bench will be a challenge for Princeton this weekend.

The Tiger squad is returning all of last year's starters, including juniors Katy O'Brien, Ali Smith and All-Ivy selection Becky Brown. Those three combined last season to account for 48 percent of the team's scoring.

Sophomores Katy Digovich and Casey Lockwood are also returning from Ivy League All-Rookie freshman years and will be expected to be major contributors this winter. The addition of three talented freshmen should also bolster the Princeton squad as it looks to improve on last year's record.

After finishing the 2003-2004 season with a 7-20 overall mark (4-10 Ivy League), a preseason poll predicted the Tigers to repeat last year's finish and place seventh in the league. But the players are determined to escape those low expectations by focusing on execution and precision, two elements that were lacking last season.

The team has the athleticism and raw talent to be successful, so the season will come down to minimizing mistakes and maximizing consistency. The Tigers will have to capitalize on every opportunity presented. That could change the outcomes of games that last season were close losses.

The team's attitude is optimistic and aggressive, and, with hope, this weekend will set a promising tone for the rest of the season.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

"You can quote me on this," Digovich said. "I'll give you a quote after we win."

With this mindset Princeton will take to the court ready to face Monmouth and prove to all the naysayers that the team is here to compete this year and put last season to bed.