W. hoops downs Quakers

Sports teams often have unique languages and unique compliments. Head coach Richard Barron of the women's basketball team (13-15 overall, 7-7 Ivy League) delivered an excellent example of such obscure praise when speaking about his departing seniors.

"They're not afraid to sweat," Barron said. "This is the hardest-working class I've ever had."

Princeton bid farewell to its fearless seniors — forward Casey Lockwood and guards Lillie Romeiser, Shelly Slemp and Elyse Umeda — with a 61-51 victory Tuesday against Penn (12-15, 7-7).

At the beginning of the game, the seniors' happy ending seemed unlikely. The Quakers clearly came prepared to play and ran an aggressive offense. Forward Monica Daltner was extremely active, scoring five points and collecting a steal in the first three minutes. The Tigers' shots, meanwhile, were not falling in.

"We had some good opportunities [and] missed some open looks early on," Barron said.

Junior forward Meagan Cowher, the Ivy League's leading scorer at 17.9 points per game, missed her first two shots on inside jumpers. Fortunately for Princeton, its younger players stepped up in support of its veterans.

Sophomore guard Jessica Berry broke a scoreless stretch of more than four minutes for the Tigers with a three-pointer that ignited the offense. Soon after, freshman forward Elizabeth Pietrzak drove into the lane for a layup to knot the game at seven apiece.

But Penn came back strong. With a consistent interior game and seven points from forward Carrie Beamer coming off the bench, the Quakers once again jumped ahead.

At this point, Lockwood took Princeton's offense into her own hands, scoring on three straight possessions, fighting off Penn's post players on one occasion to grab an offensive board and put in a second-chance bucket.

Lockwood would finish the game with 11 points and 10 rebounds, ending her career on a strong note with a double-double, her second of the season. Yesterday, Lockwood was named honorable mention All-Ivy.

As Princeton's offense waxed, the Quakers' attack slowly waned. Penn's last lead of the night came on guard Lauren Pears' layup with three minutes left in the half.

After Pears' drive, the momentum belonged solely to the Tigers. Playing its usual tough man defense, Princeton stifled the Quakers for the rest of the half and for more than five minutes of the second. Despite the sudden change in effectiveness, Barron was quick to point out that the game plan had not changed.

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"We maybe just executed a little better," Barron said.

The Tigers' defensive stand was complemented nicely by Cowher's resurgence. Cowher had six points in the closing three minutes and hit another shot on Princeton's first second-half possession.

With 16 minutes, 10 seconds remaining, and the score 33-21, the outcome seemed all but certain. The Tigers' offense was particularly efficient during the night, shooting nearly 59 percent from the floor during the second half.

"We ran a lot of high-low, a lot of ball screens," Barron said. "It was almost a Princeton offense."

Versatile sophomore forward Whitney Downs was one of the beneficiaries of the Tigers' offensive efficiency, shooting four for six from the field and netting 11 points to go along with her five rebounds and five assists.

Penn, after shooting 37 percent in the first half, made only 28 percent of its attempts after halftime.

Rebounding was another crucial factor. Whereas Lockwood had 10 rebounds and Cowher was close behind with eight boards, the Quakers had no player with more than five.

After constant calls from the spectators demanding to see this year's seniors, Barron subbed in his fourth-year players to resounding applause with less than a minute remaining in the game.

With a victory against Penn secured and a standing ovation from the crowd, the hardworking class of seniors took its last bow.