Cowher tops 1,000 points in sweep

As any scientist worth his Ph.D. would tell you, there's something special about powers of 10. On the day when junior forward Meagan Cowher reached 1,000 points, her outstanding effort also vaulted the women's basketball team into the top spot in the Ivy League standings.

At the end of the season, this past weekend may be considered the team's high-water mark. Princeton (10-9 overall, 4-1 Ivy League) defeated both Yale and Brown, and Cowher joined an elite group of 17 women who have tallied 1,000 points on Saturday night against Brown.

In the first game, the Tigers came back against the Bulldogs (10-10, 3-3) on Friday and came away with a 10-point win, 83-73. Yale, having just defeated Harvard and Dartmouth, rode a wave of positive momentum into Jadwin Gym. Princeton, meanwhile, had lost its last home game against Cornell on Jan. 13. With a 2-1 record in league play, Princeton needed a win to push Yale further away from the lead and stake its own claim.

The Tigers, however, were tested early in the first half. Yale jumped out to a fast start and was leading, 12-5, when Princeton went on a dramatic run to seize the lead back from the Elis. The streak included four points by Cowher and was capped by senior forward Casey Lockwood's and-one bucket.

Unfortunately for Princeton, the Bulldogs had no intention of going quietly. With her team only down by three going into the second half, Yale center Erica Davis made a layup to pull her team within a point of the lead. The defenses of both teams seemed to give way to an offensive fireworks show, as the Bulldogs allowed the Tigers to hit roughly 56 percent of their own shots while shooting over 55 percent themselves.

One of the keys to Princeton's eventual victory was strategic three-point shooting. Yale eschewed the long bomb in the second half, attempting only one shot from beyond the arc. The Tigers, on the other hand, increased their attempts — from five in the first half to eight in the second — and capitalized by hitting half of those. The Elis effectively attacked inside, which resulted in a 28-8 advantage in points in the paint, but it was not enough.

Appropriately, the game ended on a steal by Cowher, who filled up the stat sheet in this game with key contributions on both the offensive and defensive ends. Cowher finished with 25 points, four rebounds and four steals.

Princeton's Saturday game against Brown (3-17, 1-5) was a significantly easier affair, ending in a 69-51 win. The Tigers led from start to finish, allowing Cowher to enjoy a personal milestone. Cowher reached 1,000 career points with a jump shot coming with 2:43 left in the first half. Sixteen other players in Princeton history have reached that mark. Given how prolific Cowher can be, the all-time mark of 1,683 — set by Sandi E. Bittler '90 — could be in play during her senior season.

"Our team was very well prepared for our game against Brown," sophomore guard Caitlin O'Neill said in an e-mail. "During the week of practice leading up to the games, each player and coach contributed so much to allow us to know their plays inside-out."

The preparation showed as the Tigers jumped to an early 14-point lead on eight-of-13 shooting. Sophomore forward Whitney Downs jump-started the scoring with a layup, which was followed shortly by a three-pointer from O'Neill. The scoring was dominated by Cowher, however, who picked up eight points during the run.

Despite the early lead, Princeton's offense didn't truly hit its stride until the second half. After shooting under 40 percent in the first half, the Tigers hit over 50 percent in the second half. Head coach Richard Barron did not attribute the difference to a change in strategy, instead crediting his players with adapting to the Bears' zone defense.

"We just executed better," Barron said. "Knowing where to attack is important."

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

Brown, on the other hand, was utterly stifled by the Tigers' defense, which seemed as if it wished to atone for the lax second half against Yale. Princeton allowed the Bears to make only 17 of their 64 attempts. Brown fared slightly better in the second half, though improvement was largely relative. After hitting less than a quarter of their field goals in the first half, the Bears shot under 30 percent in the second.

"We really came together as a team this weekend and, as long as we just continue in the same direction we are headed, the rest of league should be a lot of fun," O'Neill continued in the e-mail. "The hard work and dedication from each player is really paying off."

The Tigers' two victories set up key showdowns next weekend. Princeton goes on the road against Harvard (6-12, 4-1), the team that currently shares the league lead. The Tigers must also face off against Dartmouth (9-10, 3-2), one of the team's traditional rivals. Barron was frank about what this trip means for Princeton.

"We need to look at the rest of the season like a single-elimination tournament, with each game of utmost importance and no game more important than the next one on our schedule," sophomore guard Jessica Berry said in an e-mail. "The parity of the league is greater than ever, so we need to come to play every night."

If Princeton can put away the Crimson, the team would have a clear path at an undisputed No. 1 title. And that's a power of 10 that anyone can appreciate.