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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Montana
Players Mentioned
Women's Basketball Continues to Roll With 80-55 Win Over Montana
November 29, 2014 | Women's Basketball
BOX SCORE
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
CANCUN, Mexico – Leading from end-to-end, the Princeton University women's basketball team improved to 6-0 on the season with a decisive 80-55 victory over the University of Montana at the 2014 Cancun Challenge.
Up by 21 at the intermission, Princeton saw its lead slim down to 13 points midway through the second half before a 15-4 run over a span of 5:04 put the game away. Improving to 1-2 all-time against Montana (2-2), the Tigers are now off to the best start under eight-year head coach Courtney Banghart since the 2011-12 squad also began the season with six consecutive victories.
Pacing the Princeton attack, Annie Tarakchian set a pair of career-highs with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Knocking down 6-of-10 field goal attempts and 3-of-6 threes, Tarakchian's 23 points surpassed her previous personal best of 18 set against VCU in the first round of last season's WNIT. Hitting four of her seven three-pointers, Blake Dietrick finished with 15 points, while Michelle Miller was the only other Tiger to score in double digits with 10.
Netting 13 of the first 18 points in yesterday's win over Wake Forest, Princeton started today's contest in similar fashion, piecing together a 13-4 stretch over the first 4:22. Dietrick got the run started by scoring four of the game's first six points before a Carly Selvig layup at 17:13 put the Lady Griz on the board.
A pair of Tarakchian free throws coupled with an Alex Wheatley layup upped the Princeton lead to 10-2 before Kayleigh Valley went 2-of-2 from the charity stripe to trim the deficit back down to six. Coming right back down the floor, Dietrick answered with her second triple of the afternoon to cap off the Tiger spurt.
Holding onto a 23-13 lead with less than 11 minutes remaining in the first, Princeton netted eight straight points. Tarakchian got things started with a three-pointer at 9:26 before a Taylor Williams jumper and Dietrick transition trey pushed the Tiger advantage to 18.
With Montana pulling back within 15 after two Valley free throws at the 4:27 mark of the period, the Orange and Black closed out the half on a 10-4 run. Five different Tigers scored during the stretch with Tarakchian putting Princeton ahead 43-22 with two free throws just before the intermission.
Trailing 47-24 early in the second half, Montana strung together a 15-5 run over a span of 5:17 to pare the Princeton margin down to 13. Kellie Rubel accounted for eight of the Lady Griz's points during the stretch, making it 52-39 with a three-pointer at 12:27.
Looking to put the game away, the Tigers responded with a 15-4 run of their own. Knifing into the paint for two, Vanessa Smith helped kick-start the rally. After a Dietrick fastbreak layup made it 56-39 Rubel knocked down a pair of free throws to momentarily stem the Princeton tide. Making good on a Tarakchian steal, Smith later ducked into the paint to make it 60-43.
With Tarakchian collecting a pair of offensive rebounds to give Princeton a couple of extra opportunities, Miller and Amanda Berntsen came up with back-to-back layups that made it a 21-point affair. Tarakchian capped off the Tiger run with a triple at 7:05 to put the Orange and Black on top 67-43.
Shooting 44.3 percent (27-of-61) from the field and 43.5 percent (10-of-23) from three, Princeton turned in another solid defensive effort, holding Montana to 29.1 percent shooting (16-of-55), which included a 23.8 (5-of-21) clip from long distance. Holding a 45-30 rebounding edge, the Tigers helped force 15 turnovers, racking up 10 steals and four blocks.
Princeton closes out play at the Cancun Challenge on Saturday, Nov. 29 against Charlotte.