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Princeton University
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Dartmouth
Players Mentioned
No. 19/21 Women's Basketball Remains Unbeaten With 83-65 Win over Dartmouth
February 01, 2015 | Women's Basketball
BOX SCORE
VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
HANOVER, N.H. – Buoyed by a strong second half start, the No. 19/21 Princeton University women's basketball team extended its unbeaten streak to 19 games with an 83-65 victory over Dartmouth College at Leede Arena.
Up 44-35 at the break, the Tigers (19-0, 3-0 Ivy) opened the second half on a 21-10 run, leading by as much as 20 with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation. A homecoming for eight-year head coach Courtney Banghart, the Dartmouth graduate improved to 11-4 against her alma mater as the Tigers notched their 11th-consecutive victory over the Big Green.
Netting a team-high 17 points, Alex Wheatley hit seven of her 10 shot attempts, while also grabbing six rebounds. Annie Tarakchian posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards, while Blake Dietrick finished with 15 points, five rebounds and three assists on 7-of-12 shooting.
Holding on to an early 8-7 lead, Princeton rattled off six straight points. Wheatley got the spurt started with a left-handed layup in the paint before Amanda Berntsen forced a turnover and took it in for an easy two. Putting back a Michelle Miller misfire on the Tigers' next possession, Wheatley staked the visitors to a seven-point margin.
Still up by seven with 7:16 remaining in the first half, Tarakchian got the roll on a three-pointer from the right corner to stretch the lead to double figures. Knifing into the paint the next time down the floor, Miller made it 32-20.
After Amber Mixon and Dietrick exchanged triples, Wheatley once again converted down low to give the Tigers' their largest lead of the period at 14. On top 44-33 after a Tarakchian trey with under a minute to go, Princeton saw its lead sliced to single digits thanks to a Tia Dawson jumper at the buzzer.
Needing a spark, the Tigers looked to Wheatley, who singlehandedly outscored the Big Green 9-2 over the period's first 2:12. Beginning her streak with a pair of free throws, Wheatley finished with contact the next time down the floor en route to an old-fashioned three-point play. Getting a steal on the other end, the junior took it coast-to-coast for two more before sealing her defender and hitting another layup at 17:48 to make it 53-37.
After a Milica Toskovic basket just before the 17-minute mark, Dietrick got out in transition, helping to kick-start a 12-6 Tiger run over the next 4:24 that put Princeton up 65-45. Chipping away, Dartmouth would pare the deficit to 13 with 1:09 to go, but a Dietrick layup coupled with three Tarakchian free throws helped seal the win.
Princeton shot 60.4 percent (32-53) from the floor, which included a blistering 69.2 percent (18-26) clip in the first half. Knocking down 45.5 percent (15-33) of its field goal attempts in the first 20 minutes, Dartmouth connected on just 30.4 percent (7-23) of its shots in the second period. Doubling up the Big Green on the glass, the Tigers finished with a decisive 41-19 rebounding edge.
The Orange and Black return to action on Friday, Feb. 6 against Columbia.