Princeton is living up to its preseason expectations so far and is a clear favorite in the Ivy League, with Harvard (7-6) as the only other team with a winning record. The Tigers have posted wins over Navy and University of Southern California, while they have dropped contests to Rutgers, St. Joseph’s (in double overtime) and Vanderbilt. Princeton opened conference play with a 56-45 win over Penn in Jadwin Gymnasium on Saturday, extending its conference win streak to 20, which is only behind University of Connecticut and Stanford. The Tigers rank near the top of every team statistical category in the Ivy League and are first in scoring margin, three-point percentage, rebounding margin, rebounding defense, assists, steals, turnover margin, assist-to-turnover ratio and defensive rebounding percentage.
Sophomore forward Niveen Rasheed, senior guard Addie Micir, junior center Devona Allgood and junior guard Lauren Edwards lead Princeton’s balanced scoring attack, with all of them averaging double figures. Rasheed leads the league in scoring, steals and offensive rebounding, and she is second in overall rebounding. Unfortunately for fans of the Orange and Black, Rasheed tore her ACL and is out for the rest of the season. The injury is undoubtedly a huge blow to the Tigers, who have consistently relied on Rasheed’s dominant offensive play to lead the team to victory.
Micir, the current Ivy League Player of the Week, is also crucial to Princeton’s indomitable offensive attack. Micir is first in free-throw percentage and three-pointers made and is second in three-point percentage. Sophomore guard Lauren Polansky has been outstanding in the backcourt, as she is second in the league in steals, fourth in assists and second in assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Tigers travel to Providence, R.I., on Jan. 28 to take on Brown. Though they do not have a stellar record, the Bears did upset Florida at home on Dec. 5. Princeton won both of last year’s meetings with Brown, blowing out the Bears 75-44 in Jadwin Gym and 64-38 in Providence.
The Tigers must get past Brown’s solid defense, as Brown is second in the league in opponents’ field-goal percentage and first in opponents’ three-point percentage, the only categories in which Princeton trails the Bears. Guards Sheila Dixon, Hannah Passafuime and Lauren Clarke lead Brown, with Dixon second in the league in defensive rebounding and Clarke tied for third in steals.
The Tigers will take on Yale the next day in New Haven, Conn. Like Brown, the Bulldogs also have a marquee upset, having taken down then-No. 15 Florida State at home. Princeton won both of last year’s meetings as well, winning 69-48 at home and 65-44 on the road.
Yale is dangerous on offense, ranking third in the league in scoring offense. Guard Megan Vasquez, who is fourth in the league in scoring, and forward Mady Gobrecht average double figures for the Bulldogs. Forward Michelle Cashen, who was named Ivy League Player of the Week in December, is strong on the boards, ranking in the top six in the league in both offensive and defensive rebounds. Guard Aarica West has played well in the backcourt, as she is second in the league in assists. Yale has a very good assist-to-turnover ratio, and three of the top five leaders in the Ivy League are Bulldogs.
Even though their records indicate a poor start to the season for Brown and Yale, both teams have the ability to upset very good teams, and the Tigers should stay alert during their post-exam road trip if they wish to extend their winning streak.
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