After winless trip, Tigers look for wins vs. Lehigh

This Friday, the women's basketball team will travel to the town of Bethlehem, Pa., in pursuit of a star — or at least a chance to even its record — as Princeton (1-2 overall) will to take on the Lehigh Mountain Hawks (2-1).

Lehigh has started the season off strong and nearly undefeated, falling only to Penn in a close game that came down to one point. Princeton will be coming off of an 0-2 weekend at the University of Minnesota's Subway Classic, having lost to the host Golden Gophers and to Maine.

"We must improve on our start to the season," head coach Richard Barron said. "We have not shown a sense of urgency that we need, and I will have to do a better job of demanding it. That starts in practice, where our intensity has not been what we as coaches expect."

The Tigers came out on top over Lehigh at home last year, winning by a score of 68-57. In that game, the Tigers took the lead with the first basket and never relinquished it. The leading scorer in that game, Becky Brown '06, has since graduated, and the Tigers will look to the new seniors to step up in this game.

"We've been on cruise control this season, and our senior class needs to get us going if they want to have a third consecutive improved season," Barron said.

The Tigers have won 11 of 19 games against Lehigh since 1983, but Lehigh has won six of the 10 games played in Bethlehem.

"Lehigh always presents us with tough competition," Barron said. "They are well coached and they work hard. They've rebounded well in their first three games and they are scrappy."

Two Lehigh players have already won Patriot League honors for their performance so far this year. Forward Adrienne Blount and center Melissa Rich were awarded honorable mention awards for their performances in Lehigh's opening game against Long Island.

Additionally, the Mountain Hawks have a stingy defense that has effectively shut down its opponents this season.

"Lehigh has held its opponents to an average of 46 points per game using a zone defense," Barron noted. "We will have to shoot the ball well and create some easy looks in transition."

One thing the Tigers gained from last weekend is a long list of things to work on before Friday.

"Our ball handling was poor in the [Minnesota] game and we need more consistent play from our point guards," Barron said. "We must develop an attacking mentality on both ends of the floor for every possession. We've committed way too many fouls, especially considering that we want to push tempo and use our depth."

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Fouls plagued the Tigers in the Minnesota game. They committed 14 fouls to Minnesota's eight, and lost the game, 85-60. The Maine game was a closer contest, with the lead changing 13 times and no team leading by more than six points.

The Tigers will go into this game with the same 1-2 record that they had at this point last season. Last year, they went on to tie for the league title. It's anyone's guess as to what's in store for the Tigers now.