Women's Basketball: Bulldogs, Bears to challenge streak

The women’s basketball team is looking to extend its 14-game unbeaten streak this weekend as it travels to play Yale and Brown to start the second round of Ivy League play.

The Tigers (19-2 overall, 7-0 Ivy League) currently sit comfortably in first place in the Ancient Eight. Already, their climb to the top this season has been historic: They are the first Princeton women’s basketball team to start league play with seven straight wins and are one of just six teams in the country with only two losses.

The Tigers have already beaten Yale (10-12, 5-3) once, with a 69-48 win at Jadwin Gymnasium three weeks ago. Naturally, they are looking forward to continuing this trend. The Bulldogs are currently tied for third place in league standings with Columbia. Yale is led in scoring by guard Megan Vasquez, who averages 11.7 points per game, and guard Yoyo Greenfield, who averages 10.4 points per game.

Senior co-captain and guard Tani Brown explained the Tigers’ excitement leading into the weekend.

“After beating Dartmouth, Yale has proven itself to be a strong and talented team,” she said. “I think it will be a great weekend to amp up our defense because I truly believe our defensive hustle and intensity has been helping us to win games.”

The Tigers’ strong defense has complimented their equally strong offense so far this season. Princeton is one of the strongest defensive teams in the country, averaging fewer than 53 points allowed per game.

Brown (6-16, 3-5) currently sits at sixth in the Ivy League standings. The Bears are led in scoring by Hannah Passafuime, who averages 10.5 points per game, but the Tigers have beaten Brown every year for the past eight years. Their prospects of continuing this streak look bright.

“We feel strong and prepared,” Brown said. “It’s great going into a game knowing your teammate has your back, and we’ve established this accountability and trust as the season has progressed. We’ve been going harder and shorter for practices, and I think that keeps us hungry for games. At the end of the day, we just love to compete.”

This weekend, the Tigers have a chance to make even more history. They could set a new school record for most consecutive wins in a season, beating out the mark from the 2005–06 season. The Tigers have also earned votes in the two national polls this week: six in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll and eight in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ Poll. These represent the most votes ever received by an Ivy League women’s basketball team.

One of the trademarks of this year’s Princeton team is its offensive balance. Four players on the Tigers currently score in double figures. Freshman forward Niveen Rasheed leads the team with 15.6 points per game and junior guard Addie Micir averages 13.4 points and has made an impressive 53 three-pointers.

“None of us predicted this season,” Brown said of the team’s success. “We just try to come out and play hard every day whether it’s practice or games. I’m extremely proud of how this team hasn’t taken anything for granted, and we continue to enjoy our season as the journey that it has turned out to be. Every single one of us is committed to getting better.”

The Tigers will have plenty of opportunity to do so when they play Yale tonight and Brown on Saturday.