Women's Basketball: Second-half runs spur win

In the second half, however, the Tigers did much to dispel the notion that the departure of Meagan Cowher ’08 would cripple their offense. Princeton dominated play after halftime and roared back to earn a 69-57 win as several players took turns in the spotlight.

Sparked by the play of senior guard Whitney Downs, the Tigers emerged from the locker room intent on establishing momentum that would carry them through the rest of the game. Downs’ eight points in the opening five minutes of the second half helped trim the Rams’ lead to seven. Downs is also a staff writer for the Daily Princetonian.

Fordham forward Randall Hurst hit a jumper to make the score 40-31, but Downs’ offensive outburst set the stage for a pivotal two-minute stretch in which Princeton would put itself right back in the game. Keyed by senior guard Jessica Berry, the Tigers went on a 8-0 run that narrowed the lead to 43-40.

The two teams the traded baskets for the next three minutes. The decisive blow came on sophomore guard Addie Micir’s three-point shot with six minutes, three seconds remaining, which gave the Tigers a 51-50 lead they never relinquished. Micir finished the night with 19 points, six rebounds and two assists.

Princeton seemed to find its offensive rhythm with Micir’s shot and never looked back, going up by as much as 13 points with 21 seconds to play.

The Tigers’ ability to make halftime adjustments was the key factor in their comeback victory in the season opener. Princeton was also intent on varying its offensive schemes and playing more aggressively on defense.

“In the second half, we wanted to have more variety in our motion, including more post touches, more relevant screening and better angles towards the basket,” head coach Courtney Banghart said. “We wanted to be more aggressive on both ends, turning defensive stops into scores and getting to the free-throw line.”

Micir also emphasized the need to step up the defensive intensity in the second half.

“We found ourselves sort of lackadaisical with our first-half defensive effort, and we knew that we needed to come out with a stronger effort after halftime,” Micir said.

Banghart’s emphasis on attacking the basket paid dividends for the Tigers, especially in terms of free-throw opportunities. The team finished the night having converted 23 of 27 free throws, in contrast to the Rams’ seven free throws in nine attempts. Micir led Princeton at the charity stripe, going a perfect 10-for-10 on the night. The Tigers’ ability to convert at the line was a particularly important factor in preserving their lead in the final minutes of the game.

The question of how to compensate for the loss of Cowher’s nearly 18 points a game was the biggest challenge facing the Tigers coming into the season. After defeating Fordham, however, Princeton seemed confident that it had a winning formula to compensate for a lack of star power on the team.

“Meagan was obviously a tremendous player, but this year I feel that the pressure has been taken off of one person,” Micir said. “Everyone on the team can be more aggressive in looking to score. We are also a tremendously cohesive group this year.”

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Freshman forward Lauren Edwards, who scored 14 points and earned this season’s first Ivy League Rookie of the Week award, echoed this sentiment.

“Everybody was doing their role, and the other team couldn’t seem to keep up,” Edwards said.

Despite the talk regarding the team’s lack of a superstar, Micir’s performance on Friday night suggests that Princeton may have already found a go-to scorer.

“There’s no doubt that Addie is a very important cog in our wheel,” Banghart said. “Our system is based on five creating for one, but Addie’s versatility — her ability to pass, to make big shots and to play any position on the floor — makes her very valuable to our program.”

For her part, Micir was quick to deflect praise to her teammates.

“I was just looking to get my shot within our offensive system, and I was aided by the tremendous play of both Lauren and Whitney,” Micir said.

Aided by this team-first mentality and the possible arrival of a new star, the Tigers look to build upon the win at No. 3 Rutgers on Tuesday.