.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University
Minnesota
Players Mentioned
Turnovers Plague Women's Hoops in 85-60 Loss at Minnesota
November 18, 2006 | Women's Basketball
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Minnesota's continued pressure was too much for the Princeton women's basketball team Saturday afternoon in Minneapolis as the Tigers fell 85-60 before a spirited crowd of 4,651 at Williams Arena.
Despite making near-comebacks from deficits of 10 and 12 in the first half, Minnesota (3-0) closed the opening period with a 12-2 run from which the Tigers (1-1) couldn't recover.
Meagan Cowher led Princeton with 18 points, including 12 in the first half. Minnesota had five players in double-figures, led by the backcourt duo of Kelly Roysland (19 points) and Emily Fox (16). Princeton native Korinne Campbell had 11 points.
Princeton lost the turnover battle, 30-18, while also falling short in rebounds, 48-42 with 23 second-chance boards going to the Golden Gophers. Princeton's cold shooting in the second half, hitting on only 10 of 33 attempts (30.3 percent) hurt the Tigers after a good first half, while Minnesota turned it up in the second period. The Gophers hit 15 of 29 shots (51.7 percent) in the last 20 minutes.
The Tigers got the deficit under 10 twice in the second half, getting to within nine at 61-52 with 7:32 left, but Minnesota opened it up from there, leading by as much as 27 at 85-58 before Jessica Berry hit a pair of free throws in the last minute.
Princeton turned the ball over 18 times in the first half compared to eight for Minnesota, but was buoyed by 48.3 percent shooting in the opening period and Minnesota being similarly cold from the field, hitting at only 39.5 percent.
The Tigers led only once, at 2-1, when Ariel Rogers' bucket just under two minutes into the game topped Kelly Roysland's one-of-two first trip to the free-throw line.
But from there, Minnesota gradually moved its lead to 12 at 19-7 with 12:02 left, the end result of an 8-3 run over three-and-a-half minutes.
It was then that Princeton mounted its first of two comebacks from double-digit deficits, nearly digging out of the hole both times. Over the next four minutes, the Tigers outscored the Gophers 12-4, with five Tigers contributing. Casey Lockwood capped the run with a bucket and a free throw that brought Princeton to within 23-19 with 8:38 left in the half.
Minnesota pushed the lead back to 10 at 33-23 over the next three minutes, but Princeton roared again with a 9-2 run. A three-pointer by Minneapolis-area native Ali Prichard put Princeton within three at 35-32 with 3:18 left before halftime.
But that's as close as Princeton got the rest of the way. Minnesota scored 12 of the last 14 points before the break with only a pair of free throws from another native Minnesotan, Jillian Schurle, keeping the Orange and Black from going scoreless over the half's last three minutes.
Princeton fouls and the resulting Golden Gopher free throws also helped keep the Orange and Black behind. Tiger players committed 14 fouls to Minnesota's eight, putting the home squad at the line 17 times. Fortunately for Princeton, Minnesota hit only 10 of 17 while the Tigers were 4 of 5 from the line in the first half.
Princeton will face Maine Sunday at 1 p.m. CT to close the weekend. The Black Bears were 87-60 losers to Middle Tennessee State earlier in the day.