Tigers hang tough

The women's basketball team almost slew Goliath on Wednesday night, coming up one stone short in a 53-48 loss to No. 6 Rutgers (8-2 overall) at Jadwin Gym.

Princeton (3-8) tied the score at 45 on a three-pointer by senior forward Ali Prichard with five minutes, 18 seconds to play, but this was the closest the Tigers would come to taking the lead in the final minutes. Rutgers guard Epiphanny Prince scored five straight points to help spur a seven-point run by the Scarlet Knights that made the score 52-45 with 3:34 left.

The Tigers kept Rutgers off-balance the entire game. On defense, the Princeton zone made it difficult for the Scarlet Knights to get good looks offensively. Rutgers shot only 41.1 percent on the game, with many of its baskets coming off of offensive rebounds.

"We went into the game thinking we could win," head coach Courtney Banghart said. "We knew that if we kept the game low-scoring, we would have a shot at victory in the second half."

Princeton's positive attitude was apparent from the opening tip, as the Tigers opened up a 10-4 lead in the game's first seven minutes. Princeton's fast start was aided by Rutgers' head coach Vivian Stringer's decision to start the players that usually come off the bench, a motivational ploy she has been using over the past week.

When the Scarlet Knight starters entered with 13 minutes left in the first half, the Tigers remained unfazed. Princeton held the lead for another ten minutes behind the strong offensive efforts of senior captain and forward Meg Cowher and freshman guard Addie Micir.

Rutgers took the lead for the first time on a put-back from six-foot, four-inch junior center Kia Vaughn; her strong post play aided a 12-0 Rutgers run that gave the Scarlet Knights a 26-20 lead.

Princeton responded with a last-minute surge to close out the first half. Cowher hit a jumper with 20 seconds left before making a layup at the buzzer to close the score to 26-24. The reigning Ivy League MVP finished with a game-high 20 points.

"We did a good job of taking care of the basketball on offense," Banghart said.

Rutgers opened the second half on a 14-6 spurt to take a 40-30 lead. The Scarlet Knights' run was buoyed by Vaughn and Prince who combined for 10 points to open the half.

The Tigers refused to wilt under the pressure, answering with a 10-0 run of their own to tie the score at 40. Micir played an instrumental role during the Princeton comeback, as she did an excellent job breaking Rutgers' press.

"Addie's grown up a lot in our program," Banghart said. "Her general basketball IQ is really an asset, and she can play one of four positions."

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Micir's versatility has helped Princeton solve its early-season issue of not having a returning point guard. The freshman played all 40 minutes of the games against California and Rutgers. Against the Scarlet Knights' stingy pressure defense, Micir had only two turnovers, while contributing 10 points and five rebounds.

Micir also had a chance to give the Tigers a 48-47 lead with four minutes to play. Unfortunately for the Tigers, her three-point attempt rimmed out, and Prince answered with a three-pointer of her own on Rutgers' next possession to give the Scarlet Knights a 50-45 lead.

While the final outcome was disappointing, the Tigers can take solace in their improvement over last year's meeting with Rutgers, a 76-51 loss. In that game, Vaughn scored a career-high 27 points. This time around, the Princeton defense kept Vaughn under locks, limiting the imposing center to only 12 points and seven rebounds. The Tigers' ability to limit Vaughn's productivity represented a team effort, as Princeton's guards often helped Cowher on double-teams in the post.

"Kia Vaughn is a great player, a big player, a strong player," Cowher said. "I enjoy the challenge of playing against her."

While Vaughn was a worthy adversary, it was Cowher who ultimately got the better half of the showdown in the post. Her ability to stretch the court forced Vaughn to guard Cowher on the perimeter. From there, Cowher was able to use her speed advantage to create open jump shots and layups.

Princeton's effort against the Scarlet Knights had the added benefit of showing the Tigers they can compete against any team in the country. It also serves as a vindication of their hard work throughout the season.

"Playing against a talented team like Rutgers and showing we can compete is a positive sign," Cowher said.

If the Tigers can continue to build on the effort displayed last night, it could also be a sign of good things to come in their upcoming Ivy League season.