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Princeton University
Columbia
Players Mentioned
No. 13 Princeton Wins Ivy Title; Sets Conference Record for Best Start
March 08, 2015 | Women's Basketball
BOX SCORE
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
CONDENSED GAME: PRINCETON VS. COLUMBIA
NEW YORK, N.Y. – For the fifth time in six seasons, the No. 13 Princeton University women's basketball team punched its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, clinching the Ivy League title with a 63-44 win over Columbia University.
Earning at least a share of the conference crown with a victory over Cornell on Friday night, the Tigers claimed the league championship outright by ensuring it would remain two games ahead of second-place Penn (20-7, 11-2 Ivy) with just one to play.
Improving to 29-0 (13-0 Ivy), Princeton surpassed the 1970-71 Penn men's team for the best start in Ivy League basketball history. Having already set the conference's women's benchmark, the Tigers surpassed the Quakers' previous best of 28-0.
Blake Dietrick was the only Princeton player to score in double figures with 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting. Annie Tarakchian narrowly missed out on a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds. Michelle Miller chipped in with eight points, while Alex Wheatley and Amanda Berntsen each scored seven.
With the game knotted at 4-4 in the early going, Princeton rattled off a 19-6 run over a span of eight-plus minutes. Miller got the stretch started with a triple before a Berntsen layup following a Tori Oliver bucket put the Tigers up 9-6.
After a Miwa Tachibana jumper once again cut the Columbia deficit to one, Berntsen forced a steal and went coast-to-coast for two. Dietrick then connected on a three-pointer at 13:04 before Wheatley converted down low to stretch the lead to eight. Following another Oliver basket, Princeton reeled off seven unanswered on a Dietrick jumper, Tarakchian triple and Vanessa Smith putback to go up 23-10.
With Columbia pulling back within six with less than two minutes to go in the half, the Tigers closed out the period on an 8-1 spurt. Tarakchian got the visitors going with a triple from the top of the key. After a Wheatley free throw, Tarakchian ducked underneath for two to up the lead to 34-22. Dietrick capped off the run with a pair of free throws with just five seconds on the clock.
Opening up the second half scoring, Tarakchian went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe to stake Princeton to a 37-23 lead. The next time down the floor, Miller knocked down a three-pointer to push the lead to 17.
Ahead 43-29 after an Oliver layup, Miller hit a jumper to spark a 7-0 Tiger burst. Getting out in transition, Dietrick padded the cushion with an uncontested layup. After a Dietrick free throw made it 48-29, Miller found a wide-open Smith in the paint to put Princeton up by 21 with just over 12 minutes remaining in regulation.
Going up by as much as 26, Princeton shot 46.9 percent (23-49) for the game and 54.5 percent (6-11) from three-point range. Turning in another solid defensive effort, the Tigers limited Columbia to 33.3 percent (12-36) shooting, which included a 25.0 percent (1-4) clip from long distance.
Princeton will close out its regular season at rival Penn on Tuesday, Mar. 10.