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Princeton's Relentless D Earns A Big W As Tigers Top Villanova
November 19, 2011 | Women's Basketball
Lauren Polansky Postgame Interview
It was early in the second half, and this is how it was going for Villanova against Princeton's omnipresent defensive pressure: During one possession, three different Tigers got in a passing lane and knocked the ball out of bounds, one after the other after the other.
Twice Villanova inbounded again, and twice Princeton knocked it away. Eventually, with time running out on the shot clock, the Wildcats settled for a tough shot that was barely hit the rim, and even when the offensive rebound gave a fresh shot clock, all that happened was another three-point clanked off the rim.
And so what if it was hardly a perfect offensive game for the Tigers? As it played out, all they would need would be 42 points - against a team that came in averaging more than 70.
Princeton played a great defensive game and added enough offense early in the second half to defeat Villanova 56-41 in front of 1,066 at Jadwin Gym. The win improved the Tigers to 3-0 on the young season, while Villanova fell for the first time in four games, a run that includes wins over then-No. 25 Michigan State and others receiving votes Marist, who comes into Jadwin Monday night (7) to take on Princeton.
"We knew they ran great sets and were great shooters," said Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart. "We needed to disrupt them."
Villanova came into the game averaging 70.3 points per game while making just under 10 three-pointers per game and shooting 41.4% from beyond the arc, as well as 45.1% overall from the field.
Princeton hounded the Wildcats everywhere they went, forcing the visitors into 29% shooting overall and and an amazing 3 for 21 night (14.3%) from three-point range. Villanova managed 17 first-half points and had just 33 with four minutes to go, when Princeton had its biggest lead of 23.
"Our main goal was to defend the arc," said Princeton's Lauren Polansky. "We wanted to play defensively on our own and challenge them to put it on the floor. I think we did a great job of doing that. It was a really good win defensively."
Princeton shot just 8 for 28 in the first half, including 1 for 6 three-point shooting, and was just 3 for 8 from the foul line as the game reached the half at 20-17 Tigers.
It was all Devona Allgood to start the second half, as the Tigers repeatedly went inside and Allgood scored her team's first nine points of the second half. The game reached double digits at 29-19 on Allgood's final basket of the run, and Villanova got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Princeton would never trail, just as it never trailed in its opener against another Philadelphia school, St. Joe's.
Allgood scored 18 points on 8 for 10 shooting, giving her 915 points for her career. Niveen Rasheed shook off a rough first half to finish with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
"Villanova's a great team," Polansky said. "Getting to play against them, especially when they were 3-0, was great for us. It's definitely a confidence-builder as we move along in the season."
As for Banghart - who wasn't born yet when Villanova coach Harry Perretta started with the Wildcats - this was the 74th win over her career, which ties her for second all-time in coaching wins at Princeton with Richard Barron. The record is 163, set by Joan Kowalik in her 11 seasons on the Princeton bench.
"It wasn't our best offensive game," said Banghart.
It didn't have to be.
Not with the way the Tigers were defending.