Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Fairleigh Dickinson
Players Mentioned
Four Tigers in Double-Figures as Princeton Runs Past Fairleigh Dickinson 88-51 in Women's Basketball
December 30, 2005 | Women's Basketball
Dec. 30, 2005
Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. - It was an historic night at Jadwin Gym on Friday. With their 88-51 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (3-6), the Princeton women's basketball team (8-4) moved to four games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 1998-99 season. The 37-point margin was the program's largest since late in the 1994-95 season. The 55.0 shooting percentage was Princeton's best in three years. And on the eve of the 2006 Ivy season, the Tigers hope the trend continues.
Senior center Becky Brown led a crowded field in the Princeton scoring column, scoring 18 points for her fourth double-digit game in a row. Fellow senior Katy O'Brien had 17 points, while sophomore Meagan Cowher added 14 and junior Casey Lockwood, with 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds, narrowly missed her first double-double since her rookie year.
The one-sided nature of Friday's game was evident from the starting tip. Princeton had the game's first basket and FDU never led, tying only at 2-2. From there, FDU got no closer than two at 8-6 as the Tigers shot a solid 48.4 percent in the first half. While Princeton took a 12-point lead into the halftime break at 39-27, the second half to come would far outshine the first.
Princeton outrebounded FDU 27-13 in the second half and 52-28 for the game, the Orange and Black's first 50-rebound effort since March 2, 2004 at Penn, another 52-rebound game. Free throws, a rare category in which Princeton ranks last in the Ivy League, turned into a strong suit on Friday as the Tigers hit 76.2 percent of their shots from the line (16 for 21), its second-highest percentage of the season. Even after Princeton's starters had all but taken a seat for the night, the reserves picked up the same upbeat pace without a hitch. Other than O'Brien, who played 35 minutes, no starter logged more than 26 minutes as all 13 dressed Tigers saw time and all 12 who took a shot got on the scoreboard. Princeton led by as much as 41 when freshman Caitlin O'Neill stole the ball at midcourt and made an uncontested layup for an 86-45 lead with 2:34 remaining.
Fairleigh Dickinson shot 31.8 percent for the game and had two players, Megan Kirkland and Mercedez Walker, with a team-high nine points. Walker led the Knights with seven rebounds. FDU took 14 shots from beyond the arc and made just two, while Princeton had its second-best night from distance of the year by percentage, hitting 6 of 13 (46.2 percent).
More history could be ahead for the Tigers. With a win next Tuesday at Jadwin against Lafayette, Princeton would win nine pre-conference games for the third time in its history, tying a school record. The 1995-96 and 1987-88 teams established that mark, going 9-4 and 9-3 pre-Ivy, respectfully. Tuesday's game is a 7 p.m. tipoff.