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Princeton University
Harvard
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Players Mentioned
Women's Hoops Clinches Share of Third Consecutive Ivy Title
February 25, 2012 | Women's Basketball
In a season of milestones for the Princeton women's basketball team, the Tigers reached another feat Friday evening in Jadwin Gym. Princeton defeated Harvard, 74-44, to clinch a share of its third consecutive Ivy League title. The Tigers, who improve to 20-4 overall, 10-0 Ivy League, also extended their winning streak to 13 with the win over the Crimson.
"Every year is such a unique year. You just try to go on the journey with that particular group. Knowing the success has continued through graduation (for the senior class), means that the younger kids are buying in. For me that makes it really special," said head coach Courtney Banghart on earning a share of her third Ivy title in five seasons at the helm of the program.
With the Ivy League title on the line, Princeton jumped out quickly with a 9-0 run. The Tigers held the Crimson off the board for nearly five minutes of action and forced Harvard to commit three of its 17 first half turnovers.
While Princeton managed to establish an early lead, the Crimson worked to claw their way back and take control of the game. Lauren Polansky established the Tigers first double figure lead of the evening, 16-5, with a pair of free throws at 10:37, but Harvard's Miriam Rutzen and Brogan Berry responded immediately with five straight Crimson points to cut the Tigers' lead to six.
With less than five to play in the first half, Niveen Rasheed's six points headlined Princeton's final 13-0 run to go into halftime holding a 32-15 lead.
Rasheed finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds, six steals, an assist and a block in 29 minutes of work.
Princeton continued to put distance in the second half by opening up action with 9-2 run. The Tigers managed the game and momentum for the remained of the half, only allowing Harvard to get as close as 18, 48-39, at 8:46.
Seniors Lauren Edwards and Devona Allgood also finished with double figure scoring numbers, tallying 17 and 11 points, respectively. Edwards was 7-for-14 from the field, including scoring a game-high three treys, while Allgood was perfect from the stripe, going 3-for-3 on the night. Classmate Laura Johnson was also a spark off the bench and dished a game-high four assists in 13 minutes of work.
In another solid team effort by the Tigers, Princeton saw contributions throughout the lineup. Freshman Jess Shivers scored her first career points off a layin with 1:19 left in regulation after grabbing an offensive board.
Princeton has the opportunity to win the outright Ivy League Championship tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. versus Dartmouth (4-20 overall, 2-8 Ivy League). The game also marks Princeton Plays Pink, supporting breast cancer awareness, and Senior Night.