Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Falls To Vanderbilt 85-30 in Paradise Classic
December 21, 1999 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 21, 1999
HONOLULU, HAWAII - Vanderbilt's Chavonne Hammond scored 16 points to lead the Commodores to a 85-30 victory over Princeton in women's basketball action in the opening game of the Ala Moana Paradise Classic at the University of Hawaii this afternoon. Vanderbilt outscored the Tigers 61-18 in the second half for the win.
Hammond exploded out of the gates, scoring the Commodores first four baskets of the game, and at the 15:54 mark, Hammond alone led Princeton 8-5. Vanderbilt came out of the first media timeout and went on an 8-0 run, including a pair of three-pointers, to build a 16-5 lead with 13:43 remaining in the half, forcing head coach Liz Feeley to take a timeout.
A running layup by Kate Thirolf (Sr., Rockville, Md.) broke a nine-minute scoring drought to draw Princeton to 18-7 with 7:49 on the clock. The Tigers picked up the defensive pressure, allowing only four points over the next 10 minutes. Despite a tremendous defensive effort, the Orange and Black were unable to put points on the board, scoring only five in the final 6:56. Princeton cut Vanderbilt's lead to single digits on a basket by Brooke Lockwood (Sr., Palatine, Ill.) with 40 second remaining, but a three-pointer by Commodore Julie deGroot left the Tigers trailing 24-12 at halftime. Princeton's 12 points in the first half and 30 for the game were the lowest scoring this season. The shooting troubles from the free throw line continued, as the Tigers knocked down only four out of eight attempts in the first frame. Lockwood led the team with four points in the first 20 minutes of play.
After trading baskets on the first two possessions of the second half, the Commodoers put together a 19-0 run to build a 47-15 lead at the 12:55 mark. Vanderbilt utilized it size on the low post as the Commodores' frontcourt, whose average height is 6-3, combined for 21 of Vanderbilt's first 24 points after intermission. Ashley McElhiney found the touch, hitting four consecutive baskets to give the Commodores a 68-20 lead with 6:25 to play.
Princeton put a lot of youth on the floor in the second half, as the Tigers had two sophomores and three freshmen on the court at one point. Allison Cahill (Fr., Uxbridge, Mass.) knocked down a pair from the charity stripe with 11 seconds remaining for the 85-30 final score.
Lockwood led the Tigers with seven points, and Maggie Langlas (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) chipped in six points, five rebounds and four steals. Vanderbilt shot an amazing 80% from the floor in the second half and over 60% for the game. Princeton hit only nine of 37 attempts from the floor, including a 1 for 14 performace from behind the arc.
The Tigers will be back in action tomorrow, Dec. 22, as they face Hawaii in the Ala Moana Paradise Classic. Game time is set for 8 p.m. Eastern time.