Princeton University Athletics
Friday, November 11
Princeton, N.J.
7:00 p.m.
Princeton University
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Rider
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/ Women's BasketballPhoto by: Beverly Schaefer
Princeton's 2016-17 Season Gets Underway Friday Vs. Rider
November 09, 2016 | Women's Basketball
| Week 1 Game Notes: Rider/George Washington | |
| Gametimes | Friday, Nov. 11 - 7 p.m. l Jadwin Gym |
| Sunday, Nov. 13 - 12 p.m. l Smith Center | |
| Game Coverage | Rider - Live Stats - Ivy League Digital Network GW - Live Stats |
| @PUTigers l @RIDERATHLETICS l @GW_Sports | |
| All-Time Series | Princeton leads Rider, 24-8 l George Washington leads Princeton, 4-2 |
| Last Meeting | Nov. 25, 2015 - Princeton 78, Rider 59 (Recap) |
| Dec. 21, 2008 - GW 77, Princeton 56 (Recap) | |
| Princeton | Roster l Schedule l 2015-16 Stats l @PrincetonWBB |
| Rider | Roster l Schedule l Stats l@RiderWBB |
| GW | Roster l Schedule l Stats l@GW_WBB |
| Related Links | Game Notes |
It's Finally Here!
- After 238 days, the Princeton women's basketball team will open the 2016-17 season vs. in-state rival, Rider.
- Before the game vs. Rider, the Tigers will unveil the 2016 NCAA Tournament banner at Jadwin Gym. The 2015-16 squad became the first Ivy League team to ever receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
- Four members of the Class of 2016, Amanda Berntsen, Michelle Miller, Alex Wheatley, Taylor Wililams along with head coach Courtney Banghart will help unveil the banner.
- The Tigers battle their first of nine teams that went to the postseason last season in George Washington on Sunday. The Colonials return five of their top seven scorers from the 2016 Atlantic-10 (A-10) title unit.
- The Princeton Tigers were selected as the No. 2 team (110 voting points) in the Ivy League Preseason Media Poll. The defending Ivy League Champion, Penn Quakers, were picked as the top squad with all 17 first place votes and 136 voting points.
- Harvard (104) was named the No. 3 team in the preseason poll followed by Cornell (76), Dartmouth (66), Yale (56), Brown (40) and Columbia (24).
- For the first time ever, the Ivy League will feature a four-team tournament for the 2016-17 season. The tournament will both be held over the same two competition days, March 11 and 12, at The Palestra in Philadelphia.
- The format for each tournament will be two semifinal games on the first day (Saturday) with the No. 1 seed playing the No. 4 seed and the No. 2 seed playing the No. 3 seed, followed by the championship game played the next day (Sunday). The tournaments' winners will receive the League's automatic bids to the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships.
- The team named seniors Vanessa Smith and Taylor Brown captains for the 2016-17 season.
- "I've always said that a team plays to the personality of its leaders," said head coach Courtney Banghart. "It's a meaningful honor that Vanessa and Taylor were chosen by their teammates to serve as our captains. They will lead with passion, compassion and accountability and under their leadership, this team has proven ready to attack the new season with enthusiasm, hunger, and a commitment to winning the day."
- Smith is the lone starter returning from last year's squad that went 23-6 and became the first Ivy League school to ever receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The senior started in 28 games in 2015-16, averaging 8.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and just under a steal per game. Coming off the bench her first two seasons, Smith has gradually improved each year in points, rebounds per contest, free throw percentage and steals.
- Brown saw time in 24 games in last season off the bench and set career bests in points (3.3), rebounds (1.7) and assists (0.95) per game, three-pointers (12) and and field goal percentage (.375). The Woodstock, Ga., native has also improved year-by-year in scoring, rebounding and assistss
- After traveling to France and Africa in 2011, the Princeton women's basketball team flew to Australia this summer.
- The team departed on August 22nd and spent the first four days of the trip in Sydney and the final four days in Cairns, Queensland before leaving to come home on September 1st.
- In Sydney, Banghart's squad explored the Queen Victoria Building, Sydney Opera House and did the Sydney Bridge Climb. On the court, Princeton battled the Norths Bears and the Waratah League All-Stars.
- While in Cairns, the Tigers checked out the Rainforest Wildlife Park, went to the the Aboriginal Cultural and Education Experience before conducting a youth clinch at the Yarrabah PCYC.
- The team also took on the Cairn Dolphins of the Queensland Basketball League. On the last day of the trip, the Tigers will enjoy the Great Barrier Reef and have the opportunity to snorkel and take in the spectacular coral and sea life.
- The Tigers finished with 23 wins, the seventh straight year that the program won at least 20 games.
- Princeton became the first Ivy League team to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since the conference became an automatic qualifier.
- The Class of 2016 became the fourth senior group in program history to win at least 20 games all four years.
- Princeton had a stretch of 25 straight wins at home.
- The Tigers have swept 40 of the last 43 Ivy League weekends.
- Head coach Courtney Banghart's team ranked in the top 10 nationally in rebounding margin (third), defensive rebounds per game (fourth), rebounds per game (seventh) and scoring margin (seventh).
- Four players had at least 60 assists this year with Amanda Berntsen '16 leading the way (101).
- Alex Wheatley's '16 57.7 field goal percentage and Michelle Miller's '16 42.6 percent from deep led the Ivy League.
- Princeton claimed 9 Ivy POTW awards last season.
- Annie Tarakchian was picked as the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week on Mar. 7. It was her eighth career accolade making her one of just 11 players in Ivy League history to reach that milestone.
- Wheatley was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Week on Feb. 29. It was her third career POTW award.
- Berntsen was selected as Ivy League Co-Player of the Week, the league on Feb. 22. It's was the senior's first career weekly award.
- For the seventh time in her career, Miller was picked as POTW on Feb. 8. She is one of just 15 players in conference history to reach that mark, joining her teammate, Annie Tarakchian and head coach Courtney Banghart.
- Dating back to 2014-15, a Princeton player has claimed the Ivy League POTW award in 22 of the last 29 weeks in which the team has played a game and been eligible.
- Below is a list of Princeton's Ivy POTW awards dating back to 2014-15:
            Nov. 24 – Blake Dietrick (Co-Player)      Â
            Dec. 1 – Annie Tarakchian          Â
            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)
            Nov. 16, 2015 - Annie Tarakchian
            Nov. 30 - Annie Tarakchian (Co-Player)
            Dec. 7 - Michelle Miller
            Dec. 14 - Alex Wheatley
            Jan. 4 - Michelle Miller (Co-Player)
            Feb. 8 - Michelle MIller (Co-Player)
            Feb. 22 - Amanda Berntsen
            Feb. 29 - Alex Wheatley (Co-Player)
            Mar. 7 - Annie Tarakchian (Co-Player)
Series History
- Princeton leads the all-time series vs. Rider, 24-8,in a series that dates back to 1972-73 season.
- The Tigers have won seven straight over the Broncs.
- Rider's last win over the Tigers was a 45-42 decision on Dec. 29, 2007.
- George Washington has 4-2 lead over Princeton in the series history. The Tigers last defeated GW in 1979.
- George Washington has won the last four meetings vs. the Tigers.
- Annie Tarakchian poured in a game-high 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting to lead the Princeton University women's basketball team to a comfortable 78-59 victory over Rider at Alumni Gymnasium on Nov. 25, 2015.
- Falling just shy of her third double-double of the season, Tarakchian pulled down nine rebounds.
- Hitting six of her 10 shot attempts, Alex Wheatley finished with 12 points while Michelle Miller chipped in with 10 points and four boards.
- Dominating Rider inside, Princeton finished with a 42-18 edge in points in the paint. The Tigers shot 45.7 percent (32-70) from the field while holding the Broncs to a 34.5 (20-58) shooting percentage.
 - Addie Micir scored a career-best six three-point baskets for Princeton in a 77-56 loss to George Washington on Dec. 21, 2008 at the Smith Center.
- Micir went 6-for-12 from long range, scoring a total of 18 points, to lead the Tigers. She also chipped in a team-high six assists and three rebounds.
- Devona Allgood added 12 points and six boards, and classmate Lauren Edwards contributed 11 points. Julia Berger was the team leader on the glass with nine rebounds, five of which were offensive.
- The Broncs went 8-22 last season and 5-15 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).
- Robin Perkins led th MAAC in scoring (15.2) and was second team all-conference.
- Julian Duggan returns after averaging 8.1 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game.
- Rider ranked 315th in the country in field goal percentage last season.
- The Colonials return five of their top seven scorers from the 2016 Atlantic-10 (A-10) title unit.
- GW is one of nine teams on Princeton's schedule that reached the postseason last season.
- Caira Washington was named to the A-10 Preseason All-Conference First Team while Hannah Schiable was a third team selection.
- George Washington was one of the best rebounding squads in the country in 2015-16, placing first in rebounds (48.6), second in offensive rebounds per game (18) and third in rebounding margin (+14.2).
- After graduating last season, Annie Tarakchian signed a contract with BCF Elfic Fribourg Basket, a team from Switzerland.
- Blake Dietrick '15 is currently playing for Bendigo Bank Spirit in Australia. Earlier this year, Dietrick was named to the Women's National Basketball Association's (WNBA) Seattle Storm's opening night roster.
- Dietrick is the first Princeton women's basketball player ever to make a WNBA opening night roster and the second Ivy League player. Harvard's Allison Feaster played for the Los Angeles Sparks (1998-2000), Charlotte Sting (2001-06) and the Indiana Fever (2008).
- Junior Leslie Robinson is the daughter of Princeton alumnus Craig Robinson, who is one of only two men's players in program history to twice be named Ivy League Player of the Year. Her aunt Michelle Robinson (Michelle Obama) graduated from Princeton in 1985 and is currently the First Lady of the United States and the wife of President Barack Obama.
- Sophomore Qalea Ismail is the daughter of Qadry "The Missle" Ismail, who played 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) with her uncle Raghib "Rocket" Ismail, who played for nine seasons.
- Jordan Muhammad's father, Muhsin, played 14 seasons in the NFL, for the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears.
- Freshman Bella Alarie's dad, Mark, drafted in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft and played for five seasons in the NBA.
- Freshman Taylor Baur's dad, Turner, played in the NFL for the New England Patriots.
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