On Saturday afternoon in New Haven, No. 22 Princeton (14–1, 2–0 Ivy League) made it clear that they still have Yale’s (4–11, 0–2) number. With a decisive 76–50 win, the Tigers extended their winning streak to 12 games in the regular season and have won just as many in a row in their all-time series against the Bulldogs.
After defeating Penn (10–5, 0–2) in a close game on the road a week ago, Princeton eyed another win over a rival away from home, and they delivered. The Tigers got off to a hot start in New Haven with a 9–2 run, and didn’t look back. The early game success was propelled by senior guard Madison St. Rose, who had just become the 29th player in program history to score 1,000 points. This achievement, paired with few turnovers, immediately gave the Orange and Black an advantage.
Princeton’s first quarter mirrored the dynamic offensive ability they’ve shown all season: sharing the basketball, limiting turnovers, and getting multiple scorers involved. St. Rose and junior guards Ashley Chea and Olivia Hutcherson all excelled and played complementary basketball to push the Princeton lead to 17–12 after the first quarter.
The second quarter saw more of the same, and the Tigers took control of the game. With a three-pointer from Chea in her impressive 17-point performance, Princeton built the lead to nine. Faced with stifling defense, Yale struggled to protect the ball and shoot efficiently from the field, which proved a recipe for disaster for the hosts. Junior guard Skye Belker and sophomore guard Toby Nweke both found their rhythm, running the floor and adding on to the Tiger lead. Paired with even more success from Hutcherson and St. Rose, Princeton’s lead extended to 35–22 at halftime.
“We have five legitimate scorers in our starting lineup, and that doesn’t include our bench, who has really stepped up,” St. Rose told The Daily Princetonian. “When we are sharing the ball with everyone, we can score efficiently and it’s been awesome to see.”
As the third quarter began, it became clear that the Bulldogs would not go down without a fight. Yale found their stride offensively, scoring three early baskets and finding success in the paint for the first time in the game. However, Princeton consistently found an answer to any Bulldog threats of a big run. In the first five minutes of the quarter, Yale was unable to make consecutive baskets as the Tigers continued to dominate the paint and get to the free-throw line. With key baskets from St. Rose, Belker, and senior forward Taylor Charles, the Tigers weathered the storm and set themselves up to run away with the game.
The Tigers ended the third quarter on a 12–2 run, as Chea stepped up big with seven consecutive points from three, in the midrange, and in the paint. St. Rose kept the success rolling with baskets of her own, and with a layup from Nweke in the dying seconds of the third frame, Princeton suddenly found themselves up comfortably for their twelfth consecutive win, leading 56–33.
“Yale made us work on both ends of the floor,” said St. Rose. “When it came down to crunch time, we executed our sets and were able to get going.”
Although the Orange and Black didn’t shoot their best from beyond the arc at just 29 percent, their ability to get to the free-throw line and force turnovers locked the Bulldogs out of a big upset. The Tigers got to the line eight more times than their New Haven counterparts and won the turnover battle 21–9, scoring a whopping 28 points off turnovers compared to Yale’s eight.
With a comfortable 20-plus point lead, several Tigers were able to enter the scorebook in the final quarter. Princeton ended the contest with nine different scorers from the ten players that checked in. In all senses, the trip to New Haven was a success for the Orange and Black, as the Tigers came out on top for their second-biggest win of the season.
With this victory, Princeton moves to 14–1, only having lost to a very talented No. 12 Maryland (16–1, 4–1 Big Ten) in mid-November. With this sequence of consistent, solid performances, the sky is the limit for the Tigers.
Princeton returns home to Jadwin on Saturday to face a stingy Dartmouth (9–6, 0–2 Ivy League) team looking for its first conference win.
Lucas Nor is a Sports staff writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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