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Princeton University
Northwestern
Players Mentioned
Tiger Turnovers Lead to Northwestern Win in Women's Hoops, 67-53
December 01, 2006 | Women's Basketball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Too many early turnovers helped Northwestern to a double-digit lead that the Princeton women's basketball team never overcame, losing 67-53 Friday night at the Wildcats' Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Princeton had 22 giveaways on the night, compared to 14 for Northwestern, as the Wildcats took advantage with 23 points off turnovers and 46.7 percent shooting overall. Princeton shot 38.2 percent.
The Tigers will face Cincinnati Saturday at 2 p.m. Central Time in the consolation final of the two-game tournament. The Bearcats were 81-73 losers to Northern Illinois earlier in the evening. Northwestern improved to 6-1.
Now at 2-4 on the season overall, Princeton is 1-2 when losing the turnover battle. The Tigers survived being on the wrong end of that stat against Lehigh a week ago by crushing the Mountain Hawks on the boards, but Northwestern was too proficient from the field and on the glass to let the Tiger mishaps slip. The rebounding totals against Northwestern ended up even, 37-37.
Ali Prichard's three-pointer less than two minutes into the game gave the Tigers a 5-4 lead, but that was the last time Princeton was ahead. While making seven of its first nine shots, Northwestern embarked on a 12-2 run that put the Wildcats up by nine at 16-7, less than four minutes into the game. From Prichard's three-pointer until the Wildcats had taken a 22-9 lead with 12:56 to play in the first half, a five-minute span, the Tigers committed seven turnovers.
Meagan Cowher led Princeton with 13 points and six boards while Casey Lockwood added 11 points. Northwestern had four players in double-figures, led by Sara Stutz with 13 points and A.J. Glasauer with 11. Stutz and Glasauer entered the night as the Wildcats' scoring co-leaders. Princeton had held Glasauer scoreless for the first half.
Princeton had the lead down to eight on two occasions in the second half. Northwestern was ahead 48-35 with 11:58 to play in the game when the Tigers went on a 5-0 run and held the Wildcats scoreless for over three minutes until a Melissa Miller layup pushed the lead back to 10. Cowher answered with a bucket to bring Princeton within 50-42 with 8:07 left, but Northwestern scored the next eight points to hamstring Princeton at 58-42 with 5:17 to play.
NOTES
Meagan Cowher extended her double-digit scoring streak to a 12th straight game, dating back to last season. Casey Lockwood has scored in double-digits in five of the six games this year and four in a row.
Head coach Richard Barron shook up the starting lineup, giving senior guard Shelly Slemp her first start since March 5, 2005 and junior forward Ali Prichard just her second start since that date. Prichard started one game two weekends ago in her home state of Minnesota.
Freshman forward and Chicago-area native Elizabeth Pietrzak scored six points and had three rebounds, playing a career-high 20 minutes in just her second appearance. Fellow Chicagolander Lillie Romeiser, a senior guard, made her season debut.
The loss dropped Princeton to 0-6 against Big Ten schools since the conference began sponsoring women's hoops a quarter-century ago. Michigan, Michigan State, Iowa, Minnesota and Northwestern (twice) have nicked the Tigers.
Shelly Slemp, who had not scored this season before putting in seven points against Saint Joseph's, tied a career-high with six assists and had four points. Her first six-assist game was the second game of her collegiate career in 2003 against Samford.