Goliath almost felled

Sometimes true wins aren't reflected in the numbers on the scoreboard at the end of a game. Sometimes wins are measured by the number of fans a team attracts to a game rather than the total number of points it scores. Sometimes wins are measured by the momentum a team gains and the confidence it builds.

And so, while the women's basketball team (5-3 overall) lost to No. 6 Rutgers, 65-56, on Sunday afternoon, the loss in the game was certainly a win for the program.

Rutgers filled half of the bleachers in Jadwin Gym with red sweatshirt-clad fans, but fans of the Orange and Black came out in matching force, not just to support but also to cheer and scream for a Tiger victory as a true sixth player.

"This is the first time in my first four-plus years that I've actually seen cheering in Jadwin ... trying to impact the game," head coach Richard Barron said. "I hope it's a tipping point ... maybe we'll win some fans. I think [the players are] worthy of everyone's support."

Yet even with enthusiastic support and 14 points apiece from senior center Becky Brown and senior guard Katy O'Brien, Princeton could not overtake the Scarlet Knights. Rutgers guard Cappie Pondexter, arguably one of the best point guards in women's college basketball, lit up the floor in her usual fashion with 25 points. Her 21 second-half points, highlighted by a nine-for-nine performance from the charity stripe, secured victory for Rutgers.

Despite leading for much of the game, the Tigers fell into a three-minute scoring drought in the final 10 minutes, affording the Scarlet Knights the opportunity to mount an 11-0 run and grab a nine-point lead.

"I thought we played really well for about 32 minutes of the game," Barron said. "It's easy to get distracted in a game of this magnitude. You know, their minds wander a little bit; it's hard to remember what we just talked about in timeout because there's just so many distractions, and one of those is [Rutgers'] athleticism."

Despite a brief lapse in scoring, Princeton rebounded well throughout the game, grabbing 33 boards. That acumen on the glass allowed the Tigers to outscore Rutgers in the paint, 24-18, and earn over twice as many second-chance points, 16-6. The Orange and Black's improvement in rebounding has come about through a concerted effort by all players to get more aggressive down low.

One area of the Tiger offense still in need of improvement is their ability to feed the ball into the post, Barron said. Despite Princeton's arsenal of offensive weapons underneath the basket, including sophomore forwardss Meagan Cowher and Ariel Rogers, Brown and junior forward Casey Lockwood, the guards often shy away from feeding the ball in down low. Instead, the Tigers sometimes look to shoot outside far too frequently. Against the Scarlet Knights, for instance, Princeton took 23 shots from behind the arc, hitting just seven.

On a roll

The Tigers came into the contest against Rutgers with momentum garnered by a decisive win over Army on the road Thursday. Princeton soundly defeated the Black Knights, 73-52, and added to its three-game win streak entering the contest.

The Tigers led the entire game, beginning with an opening layup by Cowher just 18 seconds into the contest. Princeton's 46 percent shooting percentage for the game allowed the Tigers to maintain and build upon their lead throughout the evening. To complement its offensive power, Princeton also punished Army on the defensive end, stealing the ball 14 times and tallying three blocks.

Brown again asserted her prowess at post by leading the team both in points and steals, with 18 and four, respectively, as well as by recording seven rebounds. Eight other Tigers contributed baskets, including Rogers, who knocked in 10 points off the bench.

Looking to the future

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With Princeton's proven ability to win against less competitive teams like Army, the relatively close loss to Rutgers encouraged rather than discouraged Barron and the players.

"[Sunday's game was] kind of a test to see where our program is, and I think we showed that we can definitely play with the top teams," Brown said.

While the Scarlet Knights and Pondexter presented difficulty for the Tigers, Princeton will face an even more formidable challenge when it squares off against the top team in the nation — No. 1 Tennessee — on Dec. 20. Between now and then, the Tigers will look to work on their fundamentals before they tip off against Rider on Wednesday.