Women's Basketball: Tigers to face top Ivy foes

The women’s basketball team has more on the line than its 10-game winning streak when Princeton faces off against Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend in Jadwin Gymnasium. The Tigers (15-2 overall, 3-0 Ivy League) also have the opportunity to secure their standing at the top of the Ivy League, in which they are the only team that remains undefeated.

Tangled in a three-way tie for second place are Harvard (11-6, 2-1), Dartmouth (7-10, 2-1) and Columbia (12-6, 3-1). Three weeks ago, Dartmouth edged out Harvard by one point in a 45-44 victory in Hanover, N.H.

Last weekend, Columbia played both teams on the road with mixed results. The Lions fell to Harvard 55-73 on Friday before coming back Saturday to beat Dartmouth 72-59.

Enter the Tigers. On Friday night against Harvard, Princeton will play another leading Ivy League contender. Harvard and Dartmouth both had the upper hand when they met the Tigers in the past. The Crimson triumphed in its previous six games against Princeton, and the Big Green is the defending Ivy League champion. The Tigers have been working hard to turn the tide, and their record this year shows how far they have traveled under head coach Courtney Banghart.

“It feels great to [be 15-2],” junior guard Addie Micir said. “Two years ago we only had seven wins by the end of the season, so turning that around and being able to be contenders in the [Ivy League] is really exciting.”

The Tigers lead the conference in scoring offense and scoring defense, netting an average of 71.8 points per game while allowing an average of only 52.5 points. Princeton also comes in first in scoring margin, field-goal percentage, field-goal percentage defense, three-point field-goal percentage, three-point field-goal percentage defense, rebounding offense, assists and steals.

The Tigers have earned national attention as a result of their success this season. Princeton is ranked fifth in the ESPN Mid-Major Poll, which ranks smaller Division I schools. The Tigers also received four votes in the AP Top 25 Poll, which ranks the best teams in the nation.

Amid this recognition, players say Princeton has maintained its mentality as a “humble and hungry” young team.

“This team knows who we are,” Banghart said. “We practice and play hard because we want a chance to win, not because we care about a win-loss record. That said, the national exposure and respect this group has earned this great university is very admirable and exciting, and very rare for an institution of this caliber ... Princeton requires that we find true student-athletes, and we ask a lot from them once they’re here. This only magnifies the significance of the recognition in my mind.”

Micir also said she appreciated the recognition the team is receiving.

“It has been really exciting to be ranked in the Mid-Major poll considering the Ivy League is on the lower end of the Mid-Major spectrum,” she said. “Receiving votes toward the Top 25 poll is exciting, too. It lets us know that others are recognizing how good our team has been so far this season.”

This weekend, the Tigers will face two very different styles of play.

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“Harvard is more of an offensive-minded team, where Dartmouth is defensive-minded,” sophomore guard Lauren Edwards said.

“Dartmouth is a team that wants to grind it out, keep it low-scoring and use their post players,” Banghart noted. “Conversely, Harvard wants a high-scoring game and will look to push the pace.”

Princeton is known for its defensive intensity and offensive fluidity. The Tigers are “more like Dartmouth in that we focus on defense and run a motion offense,” Edwards said.

This similarity is not coincidental. Banghart was a standout basketball player at Dartmouth, where she also spent four years as an assistant coach before coming to Princeton. During her time with the Big Green, Banghart recruited the Dartmouth upperclassmen against whom the Tigers will play.

“In this league, we all know everyone very, very well,” coach Banghart said.

For the Tigers, Banghart said, knowledge of their opponents’ styles of play does not change their own strategy. In both games this weekend, the Tigers are planning to do what they do best: play hard.

“Our strategy will be to keep doing what we do,” Banghart said. “We take a lot of pride in being hard to score on. We play as one defensively, and then we have a lot of fun on the offensive end, with scoring threats all over the floor.”