Back on the road this weekend, the Princeton Tigers (20–3 overall, 8–2 Ivy League) faced off against the Columbia Lions (17–6, 8–2) and Cornell Big Red (8–15, 3–7). In a heavily contested showdown, the Tigers ultimately fell to the Lions 70–56 but topped the Big Red 59–38.
This Friday night against Columbia, Princeton struggled to rebound despite showcasing a dominant first half. As the team sought to avenge their previous loss to the Lions, they could not secure a victory under the intense pressure.
Taking on the Lions in Levien
Mere minutes into the first quarter, junior guard Olivia Hutcherson responded to a Lions’ layup with a pull-up midrange jumper, setting the atmosphere for a series of back-and-forths. However, Princeton’s superior playmaking quickly began to shine. With junior guard Fadima Tall converting turnovers to threes and sophomore guard Toby Nweke completing assists into layups, Princeton had a 12–2 run with around three minutes left of the first quarter.
“We shared the ball well and found each other in good spots for shots,” Hutcherson told The Daily Princetonian after the game. “Defensively, we also had lots of energy.”
As the Lions continued to find their footing, the Tigers closed the quarter strong, 20–11. Hutcherson banked a contested shot from the paint, capitalizing on the second-chance opportunity.
Entering the next quarter, Princeton continued to play with confidence, holding the lead for all 10 minutes. However, their troubles began to surface as the Tigers shot a mere 33.3 percent from the field (a steep drop from their 60 percent in the first) and 20 percent from the free-throw line. As Columbia answered with a 7–0 scoring run of their own, the Lions cut the Tigers’ lead to a two-possession game, 31–25.
Just as Columbia was beginning to gain momentum offensively, the end of the half proved an opportunity for the Tigers to regroup in the locker room, which put an end to Columbia’s surge.
Coming out of the half, Columbia picked up their momentum right where they left it, reflecting in the roaring crowd. Levien Stadium was rocking and exploded with each Columbia basket made during their 10–0 scoring run to take a 37–35 lead that the Tigers would never recover from.
“You have to be playing with a next-play mentality, no matter what the score,” Head Coach Carla Berube told the ‘Prince.’ “You can’t get too down, or you can’t get too high.”
The Lions brought an intensity that the Tigers just could not seem to match, made evident with Columbia’s constantly frequent second chance opportunities off offensive rebounds and pestering defensive activity.
“We have got to figure out a way to match that intensity and match that aggressiveness,” Berube said to the Prince. “And I know we have it in us. It’s not like we haven’t seen it.”
For the rest of the second half, Columbia continued to build their lead, squashing any Princeton comeback hopes and coasting to a convincing 70–56 victory.
While Princeton will not see Columbia again in the regular season, the two teams sit atop the Ivy League rankings and could meet again in Ivy Madness.
Getting it done against Cornell
Just like they had two weeks ago, after losing to Columbia, Princeton was set to play an unranked Cornell team. This time around, Princeton got off to a very slow start, only scoring ten points in the first quarter and five points in the second. Despite that lack of offense, the Tigers triumphed through troubles to win 59–38 away in Ithaca.
The Tigers started off the game with a jumper from Hutcherson. Yet, this momentum was not indicative of how the rest of the first half would play out. With the highest scoring offense in the Ivy League, Princeton didn’t look like themselves until the third quarter.
To finish the first quarter, senior guard Madison St. Rose went two for two from the line and the Tigers managed to hold a 10–9 lead.
“I wanted them to play really hard, play tough, play together, play strong and play with a good heart. We eventually did that,” Berube told the ‘Prince.’
This was considered a stagnant start for Princeton, but nothing compared to the single-digit second quarter. Cornell was able to create a nine point lead going into halftime as the Tigers couldn’t see anything go through the hoop.
At halftime, the consensus was Princeton had to play Princeton Basketball.
Junior guard Skye Belker said that the team message was simple: “We need to play together. We need to step it up.”
At the start of the second half, junior guard Fadima Tall was 0/3 from the field. Princeton’s junior guard Ashley Chea was 0/7. Something had to give.
And it did. In the third quarter, the Tigers flipped the narrative and held the Cornell Big Red to five points. The Tigers scored 23 in the third, and just like in their last contest against Cornell, the Tiger defensive strength led to a shift in offense. Tall racked up three steals and first-year guard Grace O’Sullivan did as well.
“We started pressing and I think that gave us a lot of energy, it gave us a lot of steals, a lot of tips,” Belker told the ‘Prince.’ “It set the tone and gave us a lot more intensity and we were able to use the stops we got and convert them into points.”
Going into the final ten minutes, Princeton finally settled into their game. The Tigers finished the game outscoring the Big Red 21–10 in the fourth quarter. Princeton continues Ivy League play against Brown (15–7, 7–3) this upcoming Saturday back at home in Jadwin Gym.
Jordan Halagao is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Andrew Kang is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Emilia Reay is a senior Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to correction[at]dailyprincetonian.com
Read More
Students react to U-Store discount elimination with shock, disappointment
Leela HenslerThe U-Store has eliminated the 10 percent discount for student members on all products besides University merchandise, prompting many students to react with surprise and disappointment.
The U-Store has eliminated the 10 percent discount for student members on all products besides University merchandise, prompting many students to react with surprise and disappointment.
USG meeting holds presentation on free expression, emphasizes new mental health and menstrual product initiatives
Giselle MorenoSunday’s USG meeting included presentations on free speech facilitators, mental and menstrual health initiatives, and Lawnparties headliner progress.
Sunday’s USG meeting included presentations on free speech facilitators, mental and menstrual health initiatives, and Lawnparties headliner progress.
Finding their footing: Princeton men’s lacrosse falls in home opener to Penn State
Cadigan PerrielloMen’s lacrosse fell to Penn State after defeating them in their opener last year.
Men’s lacrosse fell to Penn State after defeating them in their opener last year.