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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rider
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Buzzer-Beating Three Lifts Rider to 45-42 Win over Women's Basketball
December 29, 2007 | Women's Basketball
LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. -- After a finish like Saturday's, the Princeton women's basketball team won't be sad to see December go.
Amanda Sepulveda added to Princeton's heartbreak in the last month of 2007, dropping a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift her Rider team to a 45-42 win over the Tigers at Alumni Gym. Princeton finished December 1-6 and on a five-game losing streak, with three losses by single digits and two of those against ranked teams. Princeton hadn't suffered a buzzer-beater this season until Saturday, though.
With the game tied at 42-42, Rider inbounded the ball at the opposite baseline with 7.8 seconds left. Chased into a corner with the seconds ticking away, Sepulveda lofted a three-pointer, her seventh try of the game and none of the previous six had gone down. This one, nothing but net.
It was ironic that a three-pointer had won the game. The teams combined to take 17 attempts from beyond the arc in the first half and miss them all. Rider didn't hit one until Tammy Meyers drained one with 16:18 to play to give the Broncs their first double-digit lead of the game at 24-13. Rider's lead would grow to as much as 15 with 11:53 to play before the Tigers began chipping away.
Ali Prichard started the long climb with Princeton's first three-pointer with 11:17 to play, continuing the Tigers' streak of making one from beyond the arc in 52 straight games. Less than five minutes later, the Rider lead was down to four at 34-30.
Rider led by five at 38-33 with 3:08 left when Addie Micir hit a clutch three-pointer, her only one of the game, to cut it to two. On the next possession, Meagan Cowher had two of her 24 points to tie the game at 38-38 with 2:13 left. For the first time since less than seven minutes into the game, Rider did not have the lead.
Sepulveda and Caitlin O'Neill matched buckets and the game saw its fifth tie at 40-40 with 40 seconds left. Meyers answered on Rider's next possession, and Cowher countered with seven seconds left, setting up one last chance for the Broncs.
The tense last few minutes were a marked departure from the chill both teams felt in the first half. Princeton shot 23.1 percent (6 of 26) in the first 20 minutes before warming up with 40 percent shooting in the second half to finish at 32.1 percent for the game (17 of 53). Rider didn't do much better before halftime, hitting at 25.8 percent (8 of 31) before finishing at 30.6 for the game (19 of 62).
"I attribute (the cold shooting) to the fact that we've focused on the defensive end the past few days," Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart said of her team, which held its opponent to matching a season-low point total. "We were working hard for our shots and we didn't make them work hard for theirs."
Both teams entered the halftime break on the wrong side of 20 points as Rider had a 18-13 lead before Princeton more than doubled its first-half output after the break.
Cowher's 24 points, with nine rebounds, moved her to 1,392 for her career, continuing the long climb from fourth place to third where former teammate Becky Brown '06 stands with 1,608. The Tiger senior had twice as many points as any other player Saturday as Shaunice Parker led Rider with 12 points and 14 rebounds.
Princeton will look to start 2008 on a positive note Wednesday, Jan. 2 at Monmouth for a 7 p.m. tip.