.png&width=24&type=webp)
Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
American
Players Mentioned
Women's Basketball Escapes With 63-56 Victory Over American
November 24, 2014 | Women's Basketball
BOX SCORE
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
WASHINGTON, D.C. - With the first lady and Princeton alumna Michelle Obama '85 looking on, the women's basketball team turned in a gritty defensive effort en route to a 63-56 victory over American University at Bender Arena.
Held without a field goal for the final 10:43, Princeton netted its last nine points from the charity stripe. Improving to 4-0 on the season, the Tigers relied on another strong defensive effort down the stretch, holding the Eagles to 41.2 percent (21-of-51) shooting. With American hitting 6-of-10 of their three-pointers in the first half, the Princeton defense stiffened, limiting the home team to a 2-for-6 (33.3 percent) clip in the final 20 minutes.
Going 7-for-12 from the field, Blake Dietrick turned in another solid all-around effort with a game-high 19 points to go along with seven rebounds and seven assists. Annie Tarakchian posted the Tigers' first double-double of the year with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Michelle Miller finished 6-of-10 from the floor with 15 points.
Alex Wheatley had seven points and four rebounds, while Leslie Robinson collected five boards in 11 minutes. Robinson is the daughter of former Tiger great Craig Robinson, who is one of only two men's players in school history to twice be named the Ivy League Player of the Year. Her aunt Michelle Robinson (Michelle Obama) graduated from Princeton in 1985 and is currently the first lady of the United States and the wife of President Barack Obama.
Knocking down a jumper from the right wing, Miller netted the game's first points on Princeton's opening possession. A Tarakchian triple from the top of the key made it 5-0 before a Wheatley basket stretched the Tiger margin to seven.
With American trailing 11-3, Arron Zimmerman hit a jumper to kick-start an 8-0 Eagle spurt. With the game still knotted at 22-22 with less than seven minutes remaining in the first, Dietrick netted seven of the game's next nine points. Knifing into the lane, the senior co-captain laid it in for two at 5:04 to cap off a 9-0 Princeton run. Ari Booth later pulled American back within seven at 33-26, but Dietrick dialed in her third triple of the game to give the Tigers a 10-point lead at the intermission.
Building on Princeton's momentum, Miller tallied six of the second half's first eight points, connecting on a pair of threes. With Zimmerman trimming the American deficit to 42-31 with just over 15 minutes remaining, Miller buried her third trey over a span of 3:39 to put the Tigers up 14.
Down 50-35, Zimmerman and Jen Dumiak combined for the next five points to bring the Eagles back within 10. Trailing 55-42 with just over eight minutes to play, American pieced together a 6-0 spurt to pull within seven at 3:33. Still behind by seven with under a minute to play, Zimmerman converted down low to slice the Princeton lead to 57-52 with 37 seconds left.
Staving off the Eagles' comeback bid, Princeton went 6-for-9 from the free throw line the rest of the way, pulling down offensive rebounds on all three of its misses to help wind down the clock and pad its cushion. Shooting 46.8 percent (22-of-47) from the floor and 56.3 percent (9-of-16) from three, the Tigers finished with a 41-25 rebounding edge.
Dumiak led the Eagles with 13 points and eight assists, while Zimmerman had 12 points. Lauren Crisler was the only other American player to score in double digits with 10 points.