W. basketball beats Wagner for first away win in over a year

Losing every away game for over a year is not an easy stigma for a team to overcome. Yet, with a 63-53 win against Wagner this Wednesday night, the women's basketball team did just that, proving that this year's squad is finally ready to move on to bigger and better things.

"It's good to get a road win," head coach Richard Barron said. "I believe that this is a sign of the steps we're taking as a program."

The Tigers (2-3 overall) took an early lead after junior forward Becky Brown sank two free throws and junior guard Ali Smith was 3-for-3 from outside the arc. Hanging onto the momentum that has eluded the Tigers for over a year, the team committed only four fouls in the first half and recorded a season-high 11 three-pointers.

Though the Tigers never lost control of the game, Wagner (0-4) had several multiple-point runs that went unanswered and threatened Princeton's lead. The Seahawks' Leah Thomas, scored seven consecutive points, with just three minutes remaining in the first half, which closed the score gap to 29-27. If it were not for Wagner's 14 turnovers in the first half, the Tigers might have found themselves in a much more compromising position going into the third quarter.

"Although we have limited our turnovers the past two games, I wasn't too happy with our execution down the stretch," Barron said. "We'll need to work on that over the coming week."

Despite some errors, Princeton headed into the locker room at halftime with a two-point lead, 31-29, thanks to four points from freshman guard Meagan Cowher and a stellar performance by junior guard and co-captain Katy O'Brien. Cowher would finish the game with 10 points.

O'Brien went 6-for-9 from outside the arc and had a season-high 18 points on the game. It was also an O'Brien basket in the second half that ended a dangerous 9-0 Wagner run and changed the momentum for the Tigers as they went on to win the game.

Two of Princeton's captains came off the bench to spark the team in the crucial moments of the game.

"Katy O'Brien had a breakout game shooting the three, as did Ali Smith," Barron said. "Both made some big shots at critical moments."

Though Wagner actually posted higher shooting percentages than Princeton did for both field goals and free throws, the Tigers' edge in attempts kept them ahead of the Seahawks. Princeton's 37.9 percent accuracy from three-point range over Wagner's 27.3 percent was another crucial factor in the Tiger win.

With this in mind, the team will look to improve on its shooting from the field, a task that may require controlling the pace of play and playing a smarter game.

This will be especially important in Princeton's game against Rutgers, a traditionally strong, big and fast-paced squad that will pose a challenge to Princeton's defensive skills.

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"They play at a speed that we're not used to, and we'll have to really handle the defensive pressure to compete," Barron said. "They are much bigger and more athletic, so we're going to have to play smarter and with more control. We will get beat to the boards, so it's imperative that we make up for that with precise execution for 40 minutes offensively."

But players and coach alike, after witnessing the first few games of the season, recognize that if there has been a Princeton women's basketball team in the last few years that could succeed, it is this one.

As long as the team continues to chip away at its weaknesses, Princeton should keep steadily improving.