Princeton University Athletics
One Last Road Trip
February 24, 2004 | Women's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2004
Princeton, N.J. - The women's basketball team packs up the bus for the last time this season, traveling to Columbia and Cornell this weekend for two Ivy League rematches. The Tigers hosted the same opponents just two weekends ago when they defeated Cornell but lost Casey Lockwood to a knee injury in the process. Princeton then lost to Columbia in its first overtime game of the year, spurring a three-game losing streak that it looks to break this weekend.
The Tigers are 6-16 overall and 3-6 in the Ivy League, sandwiched between Columbia (4-6; fifth place) and Cornell (3-7; seventh place).
Princeton first visits Columbia on Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. and then travel to Cornell on Saturday for a 7 p.m. tipoff. All three teams were swept last weekend, when the Lions and Big Red both lost to Harvard and Dartmouth.
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Princeton Game Notes
Time For a Change - Princeton dominates the series with Columbia 25-11 but the Lions are on a five-game winning streak against the Tigers, including a 60-56 OT win on Feb. 14. Princeton lost 75-66 and 66-63 last season and has not defeated Columbia under head coach Richard Barron.
History Lesson - Princeton leads the all-time series with Cornell, 33-14, including a 74-67 win on Feb. 13. They split last season when the Tigers won first, 66-63, to snap a three-game losing streak on National Girls and Women In Sports Day. The Big Red took the second game on its home court, 64-50. Homesick - The Tigers are 0-10 on the road and 0-5 in Ivy League away games.
Snapping The Streak - Princeton is on a three-game losing streak but hasn't lost more than four straight this season.
Injury Report - Casey Lockwood is out for the season with a torn ACL. Mary Cate Opila sat out last weekend's games with a recurring injury but is back in uniform this week.
Stepping Up - Becky Brown averaged 19.3 points per game in the last four games, up from 12.2 before Lockwood was injured. She has led Princeton in scoring since the injury, beginning with 25 points against Cornell and including a season-high 28 points at Yale. Brown also scored 22 points against Columbia.
In Her League - Brown has the ninth-highest scoring in the Ivy League, just behind two of her opponents this weekend. Cornell's Tanya Karcic is eighth with 15.2 points per game and Columbia's Sue Altman averages 15.1 points.
All-Around Leader - Katy O'Brien hasn't scored in double-digits in the past three games but has stepped up in other areas. She had 12 rebounds, 12 assists and six steals while playing an average of 37.0 minutes in those three games.
Long Range - O'Brien averages 2.36 three-pointers per game, good for second in the league. Her .423 three-point percentage puts her in fourth place in the Ivies.
Crashing The Boards - Four different players have led Princeton in rebounding for the last four games, making up for the 7.9 rebounds per game lost with Lockwood's injury. Brown had eight against Cornell, Ali Smith had nine against Columbia, Digovich had 12 at Yale and Maureen McCracken had seven at Brown.
You Made It, Umeda - Freshman Elyse Umeda made her first career starts against Yale and Brown last weekend after scoring a season-high 10 points against Columbia.
Too Late Tigers - Princeton outscored Yale and Brown in the second halves 57-46 last weekend although it lost both games. The Tigers trailed 30-18 at halftime against Yale and 35-16 against Brown, scoring an average of just 17 points per first half. They have scored 93 more points in the second half than in the first of their 22 games this season.
No Overtime Pay - The Tigers played only two overtime games this season and both occurred back-to-back. Princeton lost both, 60-56 to Columbia and 59-56 to Yale.
In Need Of Threes - Princeton has been cold behind the arc lately, contributing to its three straight losses. The Tigers shot 20% against Columbia, 29% at Yale and 24% at Brown. They shot 41% from long range in their six wins.
Scoring Woes - Princeton scored under its average (58.5 points per game) in the past three games, putting up 56 points against both Columbia and Yale and scoring a season-low 39 at Brown. The Tigers average 70.2 points in their six wins.
In Their Defense - The Tigers are second in the Ivy League in scoring defense, allowing just 64.0 points per game. They are also second in three-point defense with opponents shooting just 32% from long range.
Looking Ahead - Three high school seniors committed early decision to play at Princeton. Meagan Cowher (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Ali Prichard (Apple Valley, Minn.) and Ariel Rogers (Evanston, Ill.) join the Tigers in 2004-05.