Women's Basketball: Tigers skip Formals for formidable foes

The tournament begins with a matchup against the host No.3 Golden Bears (6-0) on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and concludes with a Sunday-afternoon showdown against either St. Louis or No. 22 Texas Christian University. However the schedule plays out, the Tigers are sure to have a challenging weekend.

“The Cal tournament will certainly put us against very formidable opponents,” head coach Courtney Banghart said. “The athleticism, speed and size of both TCU and Cal [will] be obstacles.”

The game against California will be Princeton’s (3-2) second opportunity to face a top-five team, its first being a lopsided 83-35 road loss at the hands of No. 2 Rutgers on Nov. 18. The Golden Bears have been nothing short of spectacular this season, defeating their opponents by an average of more than 21 points per game. In addition, Cal is coming off last week’s Paradise Jam Reef Division Tournament in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where it outscored its opponents by an amazing 229-152 margin en route to winning the tournament. The Golden Bears are led by forward Ashley Walker, whose 22.3 points per game makes her the nation’s ninth-leading scorer. Walker also makes her presence known under the glass, averaging 8.8 rebounds per game. If Princeton is to be competitive in this game, it will need to remain calm and execute its game plan.

Banghart emphasized the importance of composure on the trip.

“We’ll have to find a way to neutralize [these threats] through poise on the offensive end and changing defenses on the defensive end,” Banghart said.

In the second game, Princeton will face the winner of the St. Louis (2-4)-TCU (6-1) matchup, which will likely be the Horned Frogs. The Billikens are coming off a convincing 68-53 win over Missouri State but will likely be overmatched against a strong TCU squad, who suffered its lone defeat at the hands of Boston College. St. Louis is led by the explosive scoring of Theresa Lisch at 21 points per game, while the Horned Frogs feature a more balanced attack with leading scorers TK LaFleur and Hele Sverrisdottir both averaging 16.3 points per game.

Princeton heads into the tournament off a 63-43 loss to Lehigh on Nov. 30. The Tigers are led in scoring by sophomore guard Addie Micir’s 12.4 points per game and rebounding by freshman center Devona Allgood’s seven per game. Senior guard and co-captain Whitney Downs leads the team in steals and assists. Princeton has been consistent at the free-throw line, shooting 76.6 percent as a team, and is led by Micir’s superb 90.9 percent shooting percentage from the line. To have a chance at emerging from the tournament with a win, Princeton will need big games from both its stars and role players. Even if the Tigers don’t manage to come away with a victory, which is possible considering the quality of their opponents, the tournament will still provide valuable experience.

“The back-to-back of tournament play simulates the back-to-back of Ivy League play, so this will be a great opportunity for us to experience the quick turnaround before we get into the gauntlet of the Ivy League,” Banghart said.

The Tigers have faced Cal only once before, a blowout 68-42 loss on Dec. 8, 2007 at Jadwin Gym. Though it has been nearly a year since the teams squared off, the two teams have a common opponent. Cal played Rutgers on Nov. 21, three days after Princeton visited Rutgers, and earned a 66-52 win. Princeton hasn’t faced St. Louis in 10 years, their last contest being a 58-56 loss in the UIC Tournament in Chicago. The potential matchup against TCU would be uncharted territory for the Tigers, as the two schools have never faced each other.