Princeton University Athletics
Tigers Beat Shot Clock, Dartmouth 64-51
February 26, 2000 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2000
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - Although the season was not quite a Cinderella story, the Princeton women's basketball team's final home game was nothing short of magical. With emotions running high, the Tigers trounced Ivy League-leading Dartmouth 64-51.
The Tigers beat the shot clock buzzer on four separate occasions in the second half, helping them shoot a torrid 61% for the half and 48% for the game. Princeton was aided by 50% (12-24) three-point shooting. Hillary Reser (So., Beaverton, Ore.) led the Tigers with 18 points and seven rebounds, and Kate Thirolf (Sr., Rockville, Md.) poured in 16 points and added eight boards. Allison Cahill (Fr., Uxbridge, Mass.) came off the bench to contribute 11 points on 3-of-3 three-point shooting for the Tigers. Liz Martin paced the Big Green with 17 points and five rebounds. Princeton used an early 9-0 run to take a 9-4 lead at 13:41 of the first half. Dartmouth responded, closing to within one at 11:15. But tonight the Tigers would have nothing of it. Fueled by two three-pointers from Cahill, Princeton exploded for 16 points over a five-minute span to take a 25-18 lead with six minutes remaining in the first half. Dartmouth again responded, closing the half on an 8-2 run to enter the locker room down just one, 27-26.
The Tigers opened the 2nd half on a 20-7 run to take a commanding 14 point lead with under 10 minutes to play. As the half opened, Dartmouth briefly took the lead, but Lauren Rigney's (So., Marlborough, Mass.) layup as the shot clock expired with 18:38 to play restored the Tigers' lead at 29-28, and they would never trail again. The Big Green missed their next eight shots from the floor as Princeton stretched its lead to 35-28 on consecutive three-pointers by Thirolf, the second coming as time expired on the shot clock. Reser drained a buzzer-beating three-pointer with 11:10 to play, and followed with another buzzer-beating 19-foot-jumper a minute later. Dartmouth's Katherine Hanks was called for a personal foul under the basket on the play, and Maggie Langlas (Sr., Missoula, Mont.) promptly found the bottom of the net on a three-pointer with 9:25 to play for Princeton's biggest lead, 48-34.
Dartmouth inched its way back into the game, and trailed 50-42 with six minutes remaining. But Cahill came up with a crucial three-pointer again, ending a three-minute scoring drought for the Tigers. Dartmouth would not raise the white flag, and closed to within seven with three minutes remaining. But this time it was Langlas with the big three-pointer for the Tigers, silencing the Dartmouth scare and giving Princeton a 56-46 lead with 1:46 to play. Dartmouth was then forced to foul, and the Tigers sank 8 of 10 free throws down the stretch to extend their lead to 13. Leading 64-51, Cahill's steal with ten seconds to play sealed the victory for the Tigers.
With the win the Tigers improved to 7-18 on the year, 4-7 in Ivy League play. Dartmouth fell to 17-7, 9-2 Ivy League. Princeton will continue Ivy League play on Friday, March 3, as it travels to Yale. Tip off is set for 7 p.m.