Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
No. 13 Women's Basketball Prepares For Second Round Showdown With Maryland
March 22, 2015 | Women's Basketball
PRACTICE DAY PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
PRINCETON VS. GREEN BAY RECAPPRINCETON, N.J. – Fresh off its first-ever NCAA Tournament win, the 13th-ranked Princeton University women's basketball team will shift its focus to a match-up against top-seeded Maryland.
Defeating ninth-seeded Green Bay 80-70 in their NCAA opener on Saturday, the Tigers improved to 31-0 on the season. Extending its own win streak to a school record 25 games, Maryland (31-2) dispatched of 16th-seeded New Mexico State, 75-57. Tip-off for Monday's (Mar. 23) NCAA second round game at the XFINITY Center is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
Prior to Princeton's practice on Sunday, eight-year head coach Courtney Banghart and select players addressed members of the media. To view the full practice day press conference, click here. To read the full transcript, click here. For a recap of the Tigers' win over Green Bay, as well as video highlights, a photo gallery and the postgame press conference, click here.
Princeton Last Time Out
• Trailing at the half for just the second time this season, Princeton used a 15-3 run over a span of five-plus minutes to seize control against Green Bay.
• Five different players scored in double figures, led by Michelle Miller with 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting.
• Annie Tarakchian posted her 11th double-double of the year with 19 points and 17 rebounds. Her 17 boards were the most for an Ivy player in NCAA play.
• Alex Wheatley had a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Blake Dietrick and Vanessa Smith each chipped in with 11 points.
• The Tigers shot 45.5 percent from the floor and 56.3 percent from three-point range.
• Green Bay was 40.9 percent from the field and 29.6 percent from behind the arc.
• Princeton held a decisive 49-22 rebounding edge.
• The Tigers' NCAA win was just the second in Ivy League history joining No. 16 Harvard's 1998 upset over top-seeded Stanford.
Tournament Pedigree
• The Tigers are 1-4 in five NCAA Tournament berths.
• Princeton lost its first four NCAA first round match-ups before breaking through with an 80-70 win over Green Bay on Saturday, Mar. 21.
2010: No. 6 St. John's 65, No. 11 Princeton, 47 (Tallahassee, Fla.)
2011: No. 5 Georgetown 65, No. 12 Princeton 49 (College Park, Md.)
2012: No. 8 Kansas St. 67, No. 9 Princeton 64 (Bridgeport, Conn.)
2013: No. 8 Florida State 60, No. 9 Princeton, 44 (Waco, Texas)
2015: No. 8 Princeton 80, No. 9 Green Bay 70 (College Park, Md.)
• Maryland is making its 23rd NCAA Tournament appearance and the 11th in head coach Brenda Frese's 13 seasons.
• The Terps are 13-2 in NCAA Tournament games at the XFINITY Center.
• Maryland is 27-10 under Frese in NCAA Tournament play.
• Frese has led the Terps to six Sweet Sixteens, five Elite Eights, two Final Fours and the 2006 national title.
Series History
• Princeton and Maryland have met just once before, with the Terps securing a 76-52 victory over the Tigers on Nov. 9, 2007.
• The two squads share a pair of common opponents this season in American and Michigan.
• The Tigers dispatched of American 63-56 on Nov. 23 before running away from Michigan, 85-55, on Dec. 9.
• Maryland earned a lopsided 94-50 decision over American on Dec. 12.
• The Terrapins handled Michigan during Big 10 play, 91-65 (Jan. 29).
Rare Company
• With the win over Green Bay, the Tigers ran their unbeaten record to 31-0.
• Princeton surpassed the 1970-71 Penn men's team (28-0) for the best record in conference history.
• The 2014-15 Tigers were the 15th women's basketball team to enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated.
• Princeton's appearance marks the fifth-time a mid-major program has entered the NCAA Tournament unbeaten - joining Liberty in 1998 (28-0 Big South), Vermont in 1992 (29-0 America East) and 1993 (28-0 America East) and Louisiana Tech in 1990 (29-0 American So.).
• Unranked in the AP poll, Liberty earned a No. 16 seed, falling in the first round to No. 1 Tennessee.
• Also suffering a pair of first round exits, Vermont was a No. 8 seed in 1993 after picking up a No. 9 seed in 1992.
• The No. 1 team in the country in 1990, Louisiana Tech garnered a No. 1 seed out of the American South and advanced to the Final Four.
National Spotlight
• Princeton is currently ranked No. 13 in both the Associated Press Top-25 and USA Today Coaches polls.
• The Tigers are the only team in Ivy League history to be ranked in both polls at the same time.
• Princeton is the first conference team to be ranked in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The Orange and Black's No. 13 AP and USA Today rankings are the highest in conference history.
• The Tigers are also slotted No. 12 in the most recent NCAA RPI rankings and No. 7 in the Jeff Sagarin/CBN Women's Basketball ratings.
By the Numbers
• The Tigers lead the nation in three-point shooting percentage (41.1).
• One of the country's most efficient offenses, Princeton also sits second in scoring margin (+24.4), third in field goal percentage (49.2), 12th in assists (17.1), 17th in scoring (75.9) and 20th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18).
• Also boasting one of the nation's stingiest defenses, the Tigers are second in opponent field goal percentage (33.6), fourth in points allowed (51.5) and three-point defense (25.0), and sixth in rebounding margin (+11.7).
• Blake Dietrick currently tops the Ivy League in assists per game with 5.1 per contest. She is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), fifth in three-point shooting percentage (41.5), scoring (14.7) and FG percentage (48.6).
• Alex Wheatley currently leads the conference in field goal percentage (56.5) and is third in blocks per game (1.4).
• Currently leading the Ivy in three-point shooting (48.6), Annie Tarakchian is second in rebounding (9.4) and ranked fourth in field goal percentage (50.2).
• Michelle Miller ranks second in three-point percentage (47.2) and is seventh in field goal percentage (45.3).
Off to the Races
• Princeton has made quick work of its opponents this season, winning all but two of its games by double digits.
• The Tigers' largest margin of victory is a 71-point triumph over Portland St. (Dec. 19).
• Princeton has won 16 of its games by at least 20 points.
• The Tigers have built a lead of at least 20 on 24 occasions.
• Princeton has led by at least 30 points in 15 of its outings.
• Princeton has led from end-to-end in 11 of its games.
• The largest deficit the Tigers have faced in 2014-15 has been seven points (Drexel, Nov. 19/Hampton, Jan. 5).
• The Tigers have only trailed at the half twice this season (Pitt - Nov. 14/Green Bay - Mar. 21).
• Princeton has trailed in the second half three times (Pitt, Nov. 14/Hampton, Jan. 5/Green Bay, Mar. 21), for a total of 3:43.
• Princeton's six-point win over Yale on Feb. 14 is its smallest margin of victory this year (W, 56-50).
Top of the Mountain
• Head coach Courtney Banghart is the winningest coach in Princeton women's basketball history (169-66).
• Capturing the Ivy League title in five of the last six years, the Tigers are making their sixth-straight postseason appearance.
• Banghart was the conference's unanimous selection for its inaugural Coach of the Year award this season and has been named a finalist for the Naismith Coach of the Year honor.
Leading the Pack
• In the midst of a stellar senior season, co-captain Blake Dietrick was the conference's unanimous choice for Ivy League Player of the Year honors after previously earning a spot on the Nancy Lieberman watch list and the Naismith Midseason 30.
• The Nancy Lieberman award is presented every year to the best point guard in the nation, while the Naismith Trophy is awarded annually to the best men's and women's college basketball players.
• Averaging career-highs in points (14.7), assists (5.1) and rebounds (4.6) per game, Dietrick is shooting a career-best 48.6 percent from the field.
• Her 157 assists this season are a single-season program record and are the fifth-highest total in Ivy history.
• Dietrick has been named the Ivy League Player of the Week on seven occasions this season.
• Dietrick has picked up three CollegeSportsMadness.com Ivy Player of the Week laurels in 2014-15 while earning a spot on the site's Mid-Major All-America first team.
• She is the only player in program history to be named the USBWA National Player of the Week, garnering her second honor from the organization on Jan. 6.
• Dietrick currently tops the Ivy League in assists per game with 5.1 per contest. She is fourth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.6), fifth in three-point shooting percentage (41.5), scoring (14.7) and FG percentage (48.6).
All-Conference Accolades
• Five Tigers were honored when the conference released its postseason award winners on Mar. 13.
• Blake Dietrick was named the Ivy's Player of the Year, becoming the 10th student-athlete in league history to be unanimously selected.
• She is the third Tiger to accomplish the feat, joining Addie Micir (2010-11 and Niveen Rasheed (2011-12, 2012-13).
• Dietrick also earned a second straight first team selection.
• Courtney Banghart was named the conference's inaugural Coach of the Year. It marked Banghart's third Ivy League honor, having been named a two-time first team all-league honoree as a student-athlete at Dartmouth.
• Annie Tarakchian and Alex Wheatley joined Dietrick on the first team. Michelle Miller was an honorable mention pick.
• Of the four times that an Ivy program has placed three members on the first team, three of them have been by the Tigers: 2014-15 (Blake Dietrick, Annie Tarakchian, Alex Wheatley), 2010-11 (Devona Allgood, Addie Micir, Lauren Edwards) and 1977-78 (C.B. Tomasiewicz, Margaret Meier, Jackie Jackson).
Weekly Honors
• With Blake Dietrick's Co-Player of the Week accolade on Mar. 9, a Princeton player laid claim to the Ivy League POTW award in each of the 14 weeks in which the squad played a game.
• The Tigers' 14 Ivy POTW awards this year are the most in Ivy history passing Harvard's previous best of 11.
• Four of Princeton's five starters have been named Ivy Player of the Week with three of those four earning multiple honors.
USBWA National Player of the Week
Jan. 6 - Blake Dietrick
Ivy Player of the Week
Nov. 17 – Michelle Miller
Nov. 24 – Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Dec. 1 – Annie Tarakchian
Dec. 8 – Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Dec. 15 – Blake Dietrick
Dec. 22 - Annie Tarakchian (Co-Player)
Jan. 5 - Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Jan. 12 - Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Feb. 2 - Alex Wheatley (Co-Player)
Feb. 9 - Michelle Miller (Co-Player)
Feb. 16 - Annie Tarakchian (Co-Player)
Feb. 23 - Annie Tarakchian
Mar. 2 - Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Mar. 9 - Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
CollegeSportsMadness.com Weekly Honors
Nov. 16 - Michelle Miller (Mid-Major National POTW)
Dec. 7 - Blake Dietrick (Ivy POTW)
Dec. 14 - Blake Dietrick (Ivy POTW)
Feb. 2 - Blake Dietrick (Ivy POTW)
Feb. 23 - Annie Tarakchian (Ivy POTW)
Corvias ECAC Div. I Metro/Upstate Player of the Week
Dec. 16 - Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)
Dec. 23 - Annie Tarakchian
Milestones
• Courtney Banghart (169-66) became Princeton's all-time winningest coach with a victory over Brown on Feb. 13, surpassing Joan Kowalik (163).
• With 25 points against Penn on Jan. 10, Blake Dietrick became just the 22nd player in program history to join the 1,000-point club.
• Dietrick currently ranks third in Princeton history in career three-pointers made (208), fourth in assists (346), and 11th in scoring (1,207). She is just five helpers away from tying Christine Adkins (84-88) for third all-time (351).
• Dietrick's 457 points in 2014-15 are tied for sixth on the program's single-season charts
• Dietrick's 157 assists this season are a school record, breaking the mark of Andrea Razi (1994-95 - 149).
• Alex Wheatley's FG percentage (56.5) this season is currently on pace to be the third highest mark in program history.
• Annie Tarakchian's 294 rebounds this year are the second most in school history. She is one away from tying the school record held by Margaret Meier (1975-76 - 295).
• Tarakchian's 48.6 three-point percentage is currently on pace to be the highest single-season mark in school history.
• Michelle Miller's 47.2 three-point percentage this season would currently rank third.
• Princeton's 2,354 points this season are already a program record passing last year's mark of 2,271.
• The Tigers' 892 made field goals, 530 assists and 141 blocks are also team records, while the squad's 49.2 shooting percentage is on pace to be the highest in program history.
Did You Know?
• Blake Dietrick is also a midfielder on Princeton's 13th-ranked women's lacrosse team.
• Dietrick was a Winter Ivy All-Academic selection (2013-14).
• Alex Wheatley is one of five juniors to be accepted into Princeton's Scholars in the Nation's Service Initiative (SINSI) and will ultimately pursue an MPA from the Woodrow Wilson School while working a two-year fellowship in the federal government after graduation.
• Wheatley spent this last summer working for the Conservation Clubs in Laikipia County, Kenya.
• A chemistry major with a certificate in neuroscience, Michelle Miller is a Princeton Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence award winner and a CoSIDA third-team academic All-America selection.
• Leslie Robinson is the niece of First Lady Michelle Obama. Her father Craig Robinson, is one of two Princeton men's basketball players to twice be named Ivy League Player of the Year.
• Amanda Berntsen's twin, Jonathan, plays basketball for Div. III Wheaton College.