The women’s basketball team hoped that Ivy League victories would balance out its win-loss record, but over Intersession, the scales continued to tip against the Tigers.
Despite impressive rebounding, Princeton’s (4-15 overall, 1-2 Ivy League) dismal shooting percentage enabled Dartmouth (6-12, 3-1) to run away with a 68-55 win on Friday in Hanover, N.H.
The next day, the Tigers arrived in Boston, only to meet an experienced Harvard (10-8, 3-1) squad that handed Princeton an 82-64 loss.
A factor that without a doubt contributed to the Princeton’s struggle was the loss of freshman starting guard Addie Micir. Due to a leg injury, Micir did not see court time over the break, which made life harder for the Tigesr as head coach Courtney Banghart has relied on the freshman for about 30 minutes a game this season.
“In college basketball, you can’t loose a starter and not feel the effects,” said Banghart.
Micir has acted as an offensive catalyst for the Tigers, directing set plays and sinking shots from behind the arc ? most recently, Micir netted 22 points, many of them three-pointers, to contribute to the Tigers’ win over Penn.
Her long-range accuracy would have come in handy for Princeton against the Big Green.
Dartmouth’s tight coverage on the inside forced the Tigers to shoot from the field, where Princeton converted only 16 percent of its shots during the first half.
In fact, the Big Green started the game with an 8-0 run that Princeton did not answer for seven minutes, four seconds. Finally, senior forward and co-captain Meagan Cowher sunk two free throws, and junior guard Jessica Berry followed shortly with a three-pointer.
Both Cowher and Berry finished the game scoring in the double-digits, Cowher with 17 and Berry with 11. Many of these points came in the second half, however, as the Tigers faced a particularly stingy rim, enabling Dartmouth to close the half with an eight points ahead, 25-17.
Despite scoring difficulties, Princeton remained competitive by controlling the boards on both sides of the court. Cowher led the way with a career-high 15 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards, followed by senior forward Ali Prichard’s eight. Princeton’s momentum peaked as junior guard Caitlin O’Neill notched a three-pointer, giving the Tigers the lead, 42-41, with 9:38 to play in the second half.
The one-point lead was short-lived, as the Big Green’s Betsey Williams sunk their own three-pointer 13 seconds later, and the Big Green never relinquished its advantage. Scoring 24 points before the buzzer sounded, Dartmouth sank Princeton, 68-55.
While the Tigers were able to put up a fight against the Big Green, they proved no match for Harvard.
Even with Micir, the Tigers needed to bring their A-game to Cambridge to defeat the Crimson, who graduated only one senior from last year’s Ivy League championship squad.
“Harvard is probably the best and deepest team in the Ivy League,” said Banghart.
With 14:26 to play in the first half, the Crimson established a 17-9 lead when Lindsay Hallion sunk a shot from behind the arc.
Hallion scored a total of 14 points, topped only by teammate Emily Tay, who finished the game with 15 points.
In contrast, Cowher, Princeton’s star shooter, could manage only 11 points against Harvard’s defense, which effectively kept Tiger offensive drives to a minimum. Princeton came no closer than three points to the Crimson throughout the first half, and at the buzzer the score read 49-31 Harvard.
Junior forward Whitney Downs took the initiative for Princeton as the second half began. For over three minutes, the Tigers held Harvard scoreless while Downs netted two jumpers and a free throw, narrowing the Crimson’s lead to 16.
Harrion answered, however, with a layup with 16:50 to play, and Harvard continued to equalize Princeton’s scoring efforts.
Both teams notched 33 points in the second half, and the Crimson maintained its 18-point lead to finish off the Tigers.
This weekend, Princeton will face two more Ivy opponents, but on this time, on the Tigers home turf. They play Cornell in Jadwin Gym at 7 p.m. Friday. The team will return the next day to challenge Columbia at 6 p.m.
If Micir cannot return to the court on Friday, Princeton will need another player to step up and assist Cowher in putting points onto the board. It is still early in the Ivy season, and it is still possible for the Tigers to turn the tables and rise to the top of the Ancient Eight.
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