Women's Basketball: Schedule gives no gifts over winter break

The Pioneers came out on all cylinders, though, and a game that was a pitched battle on the floor ended as a disappointing loss for the Tigers that started them on a five-game skid. With the exception of its Dec. 21 loss to George Washington, Princeton’s games looked very similar to its Dec. 14 match against Sacred Heart, characterized by long scoring runs that continually changed the atmosphere and feeling of the game.

In the Tigers’ victory over Monmouth, freshman center Devonna Allgood had one of the best nights of her young career with 11 points, five blocks, three steals and seven rebounds. Sophomore guard Addie Micir and senior guard Whitney Downs also scored 11 points each in the win. Though the score line suggested that Princeton dominated the game, as Princeton led comfortably for most of the second half, head coach Courtney Banghart was frustrated by the team’s inability to perform under pressure: The Tigers outshot Monmouth 45.5 percent to 19 percent, but they were significantly outrebounded, 49-33.

Banghart’s comments about performing under pressure proved ominous, as Princeton was poised for a comeback against Sacred Heart, only three points behind the Pioneers with 9:04 left in the second half. Sacred Heart quickly turned things around, however, and ran away with the game on a 7-0 run. Micir led the Tigers with 16 points and recorded seven rebounds, while Allgood notched eight points and a team-leading eight rebounds.

The Tigers suffered a similar fate against American, as Princeton was behind 41-37 with 8:17 left to play. An 11-0 run by American, however, demoralized Princeton and left little room for a comeback. The Tigers addressed their offensive rebounding problems in their game against Monmouth by holding both Sacred Heart and American to just 12 boards.

Princeton’s loss to George Washington, on the other hand was not nearly as close. With the Colonials scoring 14 points off Tiger turnovers in the second half, Princeton never managed to get within striking distance despite entering halftime up 32-27. The final score didn’t reflect how many times Princeton to narrowed the lead from large deficits, though. In the first half, Princeton boxed out well, holding George Washington to just four offensive rebounds and 11 overall. Micir led the Tigers in scoring, knocking down a career-best six three-pointers.

“We were just missing some big plays at the end of the game. We have come together offensively and set each other up well,” Micir said. “As for my play, my teammates did a great job of finding me on the perimeter, and I was able to knock down shots.”

In their games against Syracuse and Lafayette, the Tigers were extremely competitive and at times outright dominating. Against Syracuse, Princeton held the lead seven times during the course of the game. At one time against Lafayette, Princeton had a 22-point lead. Despite the strong play of freshman guard Lauren Edwards, who set a new career mark with 26 points, the Tigers’ huge lead slipped away in the second half.

“The Lafayette game was also a huge disappointment, as we were up by 22 points,” Edwards said. “They went on a huge run in the second half that we couldn’t seem to stop, so the game came down to them catching up the entire second half and clinching the win on the last possession.”

Despite losing four games, this road trip may not have been the worst possible outcome for Princeton, as it provided several young players an opportunity to develop and mature. The results, considering the Tigers faced several strong teams and were missing Downs after the Sacred Heart match because of illness, testify both to the Tigers’ ability to fight back as well as their occasional lapses due to inexperience.