Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Women's Basketball 1998-99 Season Review
November 17, 1999 | Women's Basketball
In the world of college athletics, what makes for a memorable season? A title race? Last second, game-winning shots? Record-breaking performances?
The 1998-99 women's basketball campaign offered all that and a lot more. A share of the Ivy League title came to Jadwin Gym for the first time in 15 years, as the Tigers tallied 11 league wins for the first time this decade to tie Dartmouth for the championship.
The season was not pretty from beginning to end, with the Tigers dropping seven of their first nine games. Princeton opened the season on the road at Lehigh. The Tigers led by as many as 11, but turnovers and poor shooting from behind the arc left Princeton with an eight-point loss. The home opener was no better, as the Tigers lost to Delaware 61-46. Three days later Princeton picked up its first win of the season with a 61-50 victory over Bucknell. Junior Maggie Langlas went 10 for 10 from the line en route to a 23-point performance.
The Tigers headed west for Thanksgiving—and began a 12-game road trip—to participate in the 1998 Hawkeye Classic hosted by the University of Iowa. The Orange and Black found themselves out-manned by the taller and bulkier teams, falling to Iowa in the first game and Missouri in the second game. Langlas had 16 points, six rebounds and five steals against Iowa, earning all-tournament honors. Freshman Hilary Reser made a statement, pouring in 20 points against Missouri in a losing effort. The Tigers returned to the East for one of the ugliest games all season. On the road at Lafayette, Princeton trailed 25-17 at halftime and had tallied more turnovers than points. The Tigers turned it around in the second half and came away with a 47-45 victory. Two weeks and three losses later, the Orange and Black stood 2-7 as they faced Dayton for the final game before Christmas break. Four Tigers scored in double figures as Princeton snapped a three-game losing streak and defeated the Flyers 57-44.
Princeton used that win as momentum heading into the First Union Classic at La Salle the last weekend of the calendar year. The opening round matched the Tigers against the host Explorers. Princeton led only one time in the second half—when time expired. Senior Julie Angell connected on a put-back with less than six seconds remaining to send the Tigers to the championship game with a 55-54 victory. Langlas, the tournament's Most Valuable Player, scored 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the final game as the Tigers won the tournament with a 63-57 win over Valparaiso. Angell claimed all-tournament honors.
With the new year came the start of the Ivy season. The Tigers got the ball rolling as they traveled to Pennsylvania for the league opener. Princeton, the preseason favorite, outscored the Quakers 12-3 in overtime to come away with the 67-58 win. Langlas hit two running lay-ups, four of her game-high 23 points, in the final 48 seconds in regulation to send the game into the extra session. Thirolf pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds in the contest.
Princeton swept Brown and Yale on the road before taking a three-week break for semester exams. After 58 days without a home game, the Tigers returned to Jadwin Gym for a series with Columbia and Cornell. The Tiger defense held Columbia to 25% shooting from the floor for the 20-point victory. Thirolf scored a season-high 21 points to lead the Tigers. Against the Big Red, Angell broke her career high with a 21-point effort that gave Princeton a 64-57 win and a 5-0 league mark heading to Harvard.
A year earlier, Princeton had snapped Harvard's 32-game Ivy winning streak. This time the Tigers continued their streak-snapping with a 55-42 victory that ended the Crimson's 23-game home league-winning streak. The Tigers may have won the game, but they had lost a vital part of the team as Angell went down with a torn ACL with less than a minute in the game.
Dealing with the loss of a role player, the Tigers were forced to regroup to take on what proved the first of three showdowns with Dartmouth. Princeton remained close throughout, but could never take the lead. The Big Green snapped the Tigers' nine-game winning streak and marked the first blemish on their Ivy record with a 69-61 win in Hanover.
Princeton stood in a tie with Dartmouth a top the Ivy standings with a 6-1 mark halfway through the league season. With five of their final seven regular season games at home, the Tigers headed down the home stretch in hopes of an Ivy title. Princeton put together back-to-back all-around sound games to sweep Brown and Yale with Harvard and Dartmouth heading to town the next weekend.
Against the Big Green, Princeton held tight and took a 35-32 lead into intermission. The second half saw a bizarre change of events as the Tigers scored a mere five points, resulting in a 64-40 defeat. The loss did not keep the keep the crowd away the next night as Princeton used two overtimes to defeat defending Ivy champion Harvard 51-48 in front of a record-setting 1,222 spectators at the third annual Jam Jadwin Night.
For the final regular-season road trip of the year, Princeton slipped out of Ithaca with a 57-52 win over Cornell. The rims at Columbia seemed to be covered with plastic wrap as neither team reached the 50-point mark the next afternoon. Langlas scored 16 in the Tigers' 45-36 win.
The final home game of the season brought the Quakers to Jadwin Gym, as Princeton had a chance to clinch the Ivy crown and a trip to the NCAA tournament. Pennsylvania was coming off an upset over Dartmouth that gave the Tigers a one-game edge in the league standings. The Quakers proved to be the spoiler as they handed Princeton a 71-65 loss that forced a one-game playoff with Dartmouth in New Haven. Princeton and Dartmouth finished as co-champions and the final game determined the Ivy League representative in the big dance.
Three days later the Tigers laced their sneakers for the third meeting of the year with the Big Green. Princeton controlled much of the first half, leading by as many as 10. Dartmouth put together a run to close the opening stanza in a 24-24 tie. Princeton's season nemesis, lack of second half scoring, poked out its evil head after intermission. The Big Green went on a 15-2 run in the second half to come away with the 66-49 win, sending the Tigers home for the season.
The Tigers left John J. Lee Ampitheather with their heads held high, with Princeton's first Ivy crown since 1985. One could say these women lived downtown, as the Orange and Black shattered nearly every three-point record. The Tigers hit 185 of 593 shots from long range, both University records. Princeton set a new mark for three-pointers made in a game with 13 against Pennsylvania and three-pointers attempted in a game with 34 tries at Cornell.
The Tigers picked up their share of post season honors. Four members found themselves on the All-Ivy team. Langlas was a unanimous first-team selection, while Thirolf was named to the second team. Seniors Angell and Lea Ann Drohan earned honorable mention accolades. Langlas received regional honors, as the junior guard was one of six named to the All-Metropolitan team.
The season had its share of peaks and valleys, but in the end the Tigers were champions. Broken records, a championship race and everything in between. Who could ask for anything more?