Despite eventually pulling off a dominant 74-61 victory over Navy on Friday, the women’s basketball team initially struggled to earn a definitive lead and was up by just three points at the half. That certainly was not the case Monday night against Lafayette when Princeton (7-2) got off to a 52-27 first-period lead en route to a 90-58 victory over the Leopards (5-6) in front of its home crowd in Jadwin Gymnasium.In one of the most lopsided victories of the season, Princeton’s alert and aggressive defense set the stage for an offensive barrage. The Tigers outrebounded the Leopards 33-29, held Lafayette to no offensive rebounds in the first half while collecting 14 themselves. Junior forward Lauren Edwards had two blocked shots, and Princeton limited the Leopards to just 3-for-10 shooting from behind the arc. Sophomore forward Niveen Rasheed had a career-high 28 points.“We wanted to put 40 good minutes together on both ends, and we certainly did that,” head coach Courtney Banghart said. “Our defense is what we pride ourselves on. Because our offense is so potent, if we can get stops we’ll be really hard to guard.”Led by sophomore guard Lauren Polansky, who recorded six steals by a hounding full-court press and evinced almost psychic pass anticipation, the Tigers had 18 steals and forced 25 total turnovers. Indeed, the sight of Polansky stealing the ball and lobbing it down the court to a sprinting Rasheed became commonplace by the second half.“L.P. is great at those,” Rasheed said, referring to Polanksy’s nickname on the team. “She always knows where to give me the ball. With her defense, she’s a nightmare for the other point guards.”As the first half came to a close, Rasheed’s 22 points in the period put her on pace to surpass Princeton’s single-game record of 38, set by Ellen DeVoe ’86 on Jan. 14, 1985, against Long Island University. But despite scoring six quick points in the first seven minutes of the second half, Banghart began to sit the starters with 13 minutes left in the half when the team was up by 35. In just 22 minutes, Rasheed had eclipsed her previous career-high of 27, which she most recently set last season on Feb. 27 against Columbia.Six minutes into the second half, junior guard Lauren Edwards led off a particularly jaw-dropping performance when she stripped the ball and led Rasheed with a high pass. Guarded closely in a two-on-one situation, Rasheed saw she had no easy path to the basket and passed across the court to senior guard and co-captain Krystal Hill. Recognizing that she was at a height disadvantage, Hill drove into the paint and masterfully passed the ball behind her back to Rasheed, who put in the layup.“Tonight, it looked like the only person who could have stopped Niveen was me, and I did that,” Banghart said of her decision to sit Rasheed. “We’re in it to win the Ivy League, so we’re going to need to get everyone ready, and the way to get them ready is to give them game minutes.”While it was a big night for Rasheed, who — in what has become a ritual at Jadwin Gymnasium — was was announced Player of the Game after the final buzzer sounded, Polansky also proved to be a big playmaker for Princeton on both ends of the court. In addition to her steals, she finished with a team-high six assists and, despite her 5-foot-8-inch frame, snatched five rebounds, including two on the offensive end.“We’ve been focusing a lot on boxing out in practice,” Polansky said. “Everyone was doing their part and the ball just dropped.”In a crowd-pleasing play with just over 13 minutes remaining in the first half, Polansky intercepted a pass from Lafayette guard Melissa Downey and raced guard Ashley Springer down the court before beating her one-on-one to sink the layup.Princeton’s big lead gave Banghart another opportunity to utilize the bench players in order to develop the team’s depth. Hill led the bench with seven points and three assists in 16 minutes, while junior guard Laura Johnson racked up four rebounds. All three freshmen saw significant playing time, and guard Alex Rodgers came alive in the last two minutes of the second half to score Princeton’s last six points. After sinking a jumper with two minutes left and a layup over the outstretched arm of 6-foot-7-inch center Danielle Fiacco with 1 minute, 20 seconds remaining, she stole the ball and was fouled while bringing the ball up the court, prompting her teammates to jump up from their seats in encouragement. She sunk both her free throws to score Princeton’s 89th and 90th points.The win gave Princeton its fourth straight victory since a tough loss to No. 23 Vanderbilt on the road over Thanksgiving weekend. Over that period, the Tigers have had an average margin of victory of more than 26 points. Still, Banghart assuaged any concerns of overconfidence or complacence, noting that the team has a tough opponent coming up on Friday in Drexel, which has lost just one game this season.“I never worry about overconfidence,” Banghart said. “I just want them to stay hungry, and I think they will.”
Read More
No. 7 women’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals against No. 1 UNC
Hayk YengibaryanWith the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
With the loss, the career of senior attacker Mackenzie Blake comes to an end. Blake finished her career with a program-best 231 career goals and three first-team All-Ivy selections.
No. 3 men’s lacrosse season ends in NCAA quarterfinals after 19–18 loss to No. 5 Syracuse
Hayk YengibaryanWith the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
With the win, Syracuse advances to the final four for the first time since 2013. For the Tigers, their season ends along with the career of senior standout attacker Coulter Mackesy.
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.