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Princeton University
Cornell
Players Mentioned
No. 13 Princeton Clinches Share of Ivy Title With 70-37 Win Over Cornell
March 07, 2015 | Women's Basketball
BOX SCORE
ITHACA, N.Y. – Scoring early and often, the 13th-ranked Princeton University women's basketball team jumped out to an 11-3 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 70-37 victory over Cornell University at Newman Arena.
With the win, the Tigers extended their Ivy League record start to 28-0 (12-0 Ivy). Already holding the conference's women's benchmark for the most consecutive wins to open a season, Princeton tied Penn's 1970-71 men's team (28-0) for the best start in Ivy basketball history.
The victory also ensures the Orange and Black at least a share of the Ivy League title for the fifth time in six seasons. A win tomorrow (Saturday, Mar. 8) over Columbia would give the Tigers the outright conference crown. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Blake Dietrick and Michelle Miller led the Princeton attack with 15 points apiece. Hitting five of her seven field goal attempts, including all three of her triples, Dietrick also collected six assists and four rebounds in 28 minutes. Miller was 5-of-11 from the floor with eight rebounds. Mariah Smith chipped in with eight points on a perfect 4-of-4 showing from the field.
Staking the Tigers to an early lead, Dietrick drove left for the game's first basket. The next time down the floor, Wheatley converted on the right block before Amanda Berntsen went coast-to-coast after a Nia Marshall miss to make it 6-0.
Following a Cornell timeout, Wheatley again connected down low before Christine Kline netted the Big Red's first points with a three-pointer from the top of the key. Coming right back, Dietrick buried a triple of her own to up the Princeton lead to 11-3 with 15:35 left in the first half.
With the Tigers on top 21-11 midway through the period, Dietrick knocked down her second three-pointer of the game to extend the lead to 13. Coming off a screen moments later, Dietrick found Annie Tarakchian for an open trey that made it 27-11.
Having a hand in a third-straight basket, Dietrick then found Smith down low as the margin swelled to 18. Sealing her defender on Princeton's next possession, Smith again scored in the paint to cap off a 10-0 Tiger run that had the visitors up 31-11 with 7:46 left in the period.
Leading 39-19 at the half, the Orange and Black shot a blistering 65.4 (17-26) percent from the field and 83.3 (5-6) percent from three-point range. Limiting Cornell to just 25.0 (8-32) shooting in the first 20 minutes, Princeton outscored the Big Red 20-4 in the paint with its reserves holding a 12-4 scoring edge.
Finding Miller ahead of the pack in the opening minutes of the second, Dietrick jumpstarted a fastbreak that resulted in a three-point play. Staying aggressive, Miller dialed in a triple from the right side before Dietrick hit 1-of-2 free throws to put Princeton ahead 46-19.
Converting a three-point play the old-fashioned way approaching the 15-minute mark, Dietrick pushed the lead to 30. After a Smith block on the other end, Miller hit 1-of-2 from the charity stripe before Dietrick once again found the range from long distance to make it 53-19.
With Cornell unable to notch its first point of the frame until a Kline free throw at 13:26, Princeton led by as much as 38. It marked the 23rd time this season in which the Tigers held a lead of at least 20 points and the 15th time in which the squad build a margin of at least 30.
Princeton shot 51.9 (27-52) percent for the game and 61.5 (8-13) percent from three, while holding Cornell to 25.5 percent shooting and a 14.3 percent clip from long distance. Holding a 47-29 rebounding edge, the Tigers held a 32-12 advantage in points in the paint.