Tigers travel to No. 4 Terps

The women's basketball team will hit the ground running Friday night, opening its season against Maryland in the Preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). The Terrapins open the season ranked fourth in both the AP and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls.

The matchup against Maryland will pose several challenges for the Tigers. Princeton will have to contend with Maryland's imposing size, speed and athleticism as it tries to spring the upset. Leading the charge for the Terps is six-foot, two-inch senior forward Crystal Langhorne, who was just voted to the AP preseason All-America team as one of the five best players in the country. Joining Langhorne in the Maryland starting lineup are two more All-American honorable mentions: junior guard Kristi Toliver and junior forward Marissa Coleman. Returning starter Laura Harper also provides height in the middle with her 6'4" frame.

Princeton will counter with a star forward of its own in 6'2" senior Meagan Cowher. The battle in the paint between Cowher and Langhorne will be one of the game's pivotal matchups. Cowher's ability to neutralize Langhorne on the defensive end and still create opportunities on the offensive side of the floor will be one of the Tigers' keys to victory. Additionally, the Tigers need to find a way to contend with the Terps' high-powered offensive attack.

"Maryland will be playing as if they are on rollerblades and we are in normal sneakers. They love to run the floor, so our transition defense is a priority," senior forward Ali Prichard said. "They are also much bigger physically than us and were the number-one rebounding team in the country last year, so boxing out and securing the boards is going to be critical."

On defense, the Tigers' goal will be to keep the Maryland offense confused by repeatedly switching formations.

"We need to force tough shots," head coach Courtney Banghart said. "To do this, we have to constantly shift our defensive looks between a press, zone and man-to-man."

Offensively, Princeton will look to get the ball inside to Cowher as much as possible. If Cowher can establish herself in the post early in the game, it will open up looks for the rest of the Tiger offense. If Cowher can draw a few early fouls from Langhorne, the Maryland star could be forced to the bench. The reverse is also true, however: If Langhorne is able to put Cowher in early foul trouble, it could be the beginning of a long night for the Tigers.

Win or lose, the game against Maryland will have its benefits later in the season.

"Playing in the preseason women's NIT is a challenge we as a team are going to embrace," Prichard said. "The competition is extremely steep. Playing such talented and strong teams will exploit our weaknesses early in the season and allow us to turn them into strengths by the time the Ivy League season arrives."

In addition to their contest with Maryland, the Tigers are guaranteed two more games in the NIT. In their second game the Tigers will play either Delaware or Delaware State. After this, the Tigers' opponents will be determined by their success in the tournament's opening rounds. If they are able to win their first two games, the Tigers will advance to the semifinals, where they could face traditional powerhouses Notre Dame, No. 23 Michigan State and No. 12 Louisiana State.

For now, the Tigers' thoughts are focused completely on their game with Maryland.

"We want to play our absolute toughest basketball," Banghart said. "When the game ends, I want everyone on the team to feel that they left everything out on the court, regardless of the final outcome."

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One thing is for sure: Princeton will not be intimidated by the high level of competition.

"We don't care who we play, whether it's a fourth grade elementary school team or Maryland," Banghart said. "We just want to go out and play tough basketball."