Women's Basketball: Princeton trumps Penn in season finale

But when the Tigers left the court last night, they had produced not just a different result but a different team altogether.

Princeton (14-14 overall, 9-5 Ivy League) capitalized on a strong second half to dispatch Penn (9-19, 6-8) 72-55 and finish a strong third in the conference.

The last 20 minutes of the Tigers’ season exemplified the difference between this year’s squad and last year’s — stingier defense, stronger rebounding and a more efficient offense.

Neither team was in contention for the Ivy League title, which Dartmouth secured last night at home, defeating second-place Harvard 64-51 to finish 13-1 in the league. Penn, Columbia and Cornell tied for fourth at 6-8.

Senior guard and tri-captain Whitney Downs led all scorers with 23 points in her final collegiate appearance.

Downs was an efficient seven-of-13 from the floor, three-of-five from long range and six-of-six from the free-throw line. Sophomore guard Addie Micir netted 14 points in 38 minutes of work, while freshman center Devona Allgood and freshman guard Lauren Edwards added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Edwards also had a game-high eight rebounds.

Though Princeton had a 14-6 lead less than five minutes into the game behind the hot shooting of Micir and Downs, Penn chipped away at the deficit over the next 10 minutes to gain a 25-21 advantage.

The Tigers responded with consecutive three-pointers from freshman guard Laura Johnson and a layup by sophomore guard Krystal Hill with 39 seconds left in the first period gave Princeton a 29-26 lead into halftime. Despite the lead, head coach Courtney Banghart kept encouraging the Tigers to be more efficient on offense.

“Towards the end of the first half, our offense stagnated a little,” Downs said. “A lot of the time, we were just standing around. [Banghart] emphasized getting to the boards and transition points, and we responded. They threw a lot of zone [defense] at us, but our motion offense created lots of cuts and open players, and we were able to capitalize.”

Princeton never trailed in the second half as a Micir jumper keyed an 8-2 run for a nine-point lead less than four minutes into the frame.

The Tigers took their first double-digit lead at 44-34 behind a Micir three-pointer with 11:28 remaining in the game, and a layup from Allgood with 4:52 remaining gave Princeton a permanent double-digit advantage. Penn did not score from the floor over the final three minutes, 29 seconds, as Downs hit four free throws down the stretch to secure the final 72-55 difference — the Tigers’ largest lead of the game.

Side-by-side, the two teams were statistically even. Princeton shot 44 percent from the floor to Penn’s 40.4, grabbed two more rebounds and had only two fewer turnovers, but the Tigers converted 34 points from offensive rebounds or Penn turnovers, while the Quakers collected only five points off turnovers and six second-chance points. The Tigers were simply more athletic at every position, and eventually the second-half pressure cracked the Quakers.

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“In the second half, we really started to push the pace more,” Downs said.

She attributed this season’s five-game improvement in the team’s league record to its coaching staff and her fellow seniors — guard Jessica Berry, guard Caitlin O’Neill and forward Julia Berger — who led this season’s commitment to defense and rebounding.

A season ago, the Tigers ranked last in the league in defense, but they were second best this season behind champion Dartmouth. Furthermore, the seniors tried to instill the work ethic they learned as freshmen, the last time Princeton finished at the top of the table.

“The more you lose, the easier it gets,” Downs said. “This season, we learned that losing was not an option. We turned it around, and we seniors hope that a winning culture will last after we graduate.”

The Tigers certainly went through some rough patches this season, including a five-game losing streak from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2. These matchups were all against non-Ivy League teams.

But Princeton also had some triumphs this season, including in games against Ancient Eight rivals. On Feb. 27, the Tigers posted a convincing 61-38 victory over Brown.

Downs contributed with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in the decisive victory, while Micir led all Princeton players with 13 points.

The Tigers capped off that successful weekend with a 61-53 victory over Yale in New Haven, Conn. In that game, Allgood shined with 17 points and 13 rebounds, recording a double-double.

Downs reserved especially high praise for the coaching staff and Banghart, who took over the program a season ago and has led its revitalization.

In college athletics, new coaches are faced with players they did not recruit, and many struggle to incorporate veterans of an old system into a new style of play.

“I’m very thankful for our coaching staff,” Downs said. “They trusted us and gave us a chance.”

As for it being her last collegiate game, Downs teared up a little as the game ended, but she admitted that the finality won’t fully sink in for days, even weeks.

But despite the trying times the Class of 2009 endured during its tenure, the victory over Penn provided a happy finale and an optimistic future.

“I’m so proud of my class,” Downs said. “I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything in the world.”