.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University
Penn
Players Mentioned
Women's Basketball Completes Perfect Ivy Season, Defeats Penn 79-42
March 07, 2012 | Women's Basketball
Behind its 79-42 victory over Penn, the Princeton women's basketball team completed its second perfect Ivy League season in three years. The Tigers, who won their 17th consecutive game and improved to 24-4 on the year, went 14-0 in Ivy action. With the win, Princeton is the only team in men's or women's NCAA Division I basketball to defeat all conference opponents by 10 points or more this season.
"When (the players) have the chance to step away and realize they had the consistency to go undefeated on the road, at home, through (final) exams and tough times, it shows our depth, hunger and competitiveness. It shows their commitment to excellence and how they go about their work. I can't yet grasp how cool it is to go undefeated, but we certainly are going to enjoy it," said head coach Courtney Banghart.
As it had been throughout the conference slate, the Tigers took control early and never looked back. Devona Allgood paced Princeton with six of its opening 13 points, as the Tigers took off on a 13-2 run over the first eight minutes of play. The senior center scored a team-best 12 points, going 5-for-8 from the field. She also grabbed five boards and had both a steal and an assist in 21 minutes of work.
Penn managed to come within range midway through the first half, getting as close as four, 15-11, at 9:08. The Quakers slight push was immediately deflected by the Tigers, as a Mariah Smith three-pointer nearly a minute later set up a 15-4 Princeton run to conclude the half.
Up 33-15 at halftime, the Tigers closed out the regular season in dominating fashion. Princeton's offense dialed in and went on a 23-6 run heading inside the 10-minute mark. Penn had no response, as they were outscored by nearly 20 points, 46-27, over the final 20 minutes of play.
Princeton employed a full team effort in the win. Senior Lauren Edwards and junior Niveen Rasheed finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Edwards also tallied three blocks and three steals, both team-highs in the game. Point guard Lauren Polansky nearly matched a season-high, making seven steals, while the Tiger bench produced 37 points.
Megan Bowen led the bench with 11 points, Kristen Helmstetter added seven points and Laura Johnson was a perfect 2-for-2 from downtown for six points in 18 minutes.
"We didn't think we played very well against Brown (last weekend). I thought the kids really answered the call, defensively, and put together a good 40 minutes from top to bottom," commented Banghart.
Princeton shot 51.8 percent (29-for-56) from the field, while holding Penn to 26 percent (13-for-50). The Tigers outrebound the Quakers 38-26, and 24 Princeton points were scored off of Penn's 21 turnovers.
The Tigers now await the NCAA Women's Basketball Selection Show on Monday, Mar. 12 at 7 p.m., to find out their seeding, opponent and location for their third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.