Tigers and NJIT battle for Jersey

Tonight, the women's basketball team (2-6 overall) will travel to Newark for a showdown against instate rival New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) at 7 p.m. NJIT is 1-3 on the season, with its only win coming at home against a strong team from the University of Maryland Baltimore County team. The season for the Highlanders so far has largely been a continuation of the turmoil from last year, when the squad managed just four wins. Though the game against NJIT is not one of the biggest on Princeton's schedule this year, the Tigers are still mentally and physically psyched for the matchup.

"One of the toughest lessons to learn is to never underestimate your opponents," senior forward Ali Prichard said. "We're approaching this game with as much intensity as if we were playing Maryland or Rutgers."

The Tigers will be led by senior forward Meg Cowher, who has made a living in the paint and has been an integral part of the team since she first arrived on campus three years ago. At Princeton, Cowher has amassed an impressive basketball resume, including honors as Ivy League Rookie of the Year and a two-time first-team All-Ivy selection. Cowher leads the Tigers at 18 points a game on 47 percent shooting from the field. Junior guard Caitlin O'Neill and junior forward Whitney Downs will also be key factors in Wednesday's matchup. O'Neill is second on the team, averaging 6.8 points a game, while Downs' quick hands have provided 13 steals this season. Up and coming freshman Addie Micir contributes a tremendous level of versatility to the team. Capable of playing as both guard and forward, Micir led the Tigers with eight rebounds in last Saturday's loss at home against Duquesne.

On paper, Princeton should have little trouble pulling out a win. The Tigers are averaging 60.4 points per game on the season, five above the Highlanders' average. The Tigers also have a rebounding advantage over the Highlanders. When the two teams met last year at Jadwin Gym, spectators witnessed a stomping by the Tigers, fueled by an 11-of-23 sharpshooting performance from beyond the arc. The final score in that game was a lopsided 75-51.

The Highlanders' attack will be spearheaded by sophomore forward Taiwo Oyelola, who leads the team in scoring with 10.5 points per game despite shooting just 29 percent from the field. At 5'11", Oyelola also leads the team in rebounding at 7.5 per game. Part of the Highlanders' woes has stemmed from their shooting percentage, which sits at a meager 34 percent on the season.

But shooting woes have also plagued the Tigers this season. Despite shooting a respectable 40 percent from the field as a team, Princeton has racked up a Shaq-like 54 percent from the free-throw line, converting on only 61 of 113 trips to the stripe. Whether this statistic stems from the personnel change or from some other exogenous factor is pure speculation. What is certain is that the Tigers will have difficulty in tight game situations as the season progresses with this statistical stigma.

"Strategically, NJIT is a team that relies on penetration to run their offense," Prichard said. "Team defense is going to be very important for us to do well."

Despite the many areas that need work, the women's team has tremendous potential for the future. Micir leads a strong freshman class with tremendous high school basketball credentials that will spearhead the Tiger basketball program in coming years.

"One of our strongest features of our team is that we have a bench 13 deep," O'Neill said. "Every single person on the team can be a huge contributor in any game."