Alarie's Third Double-Double Helps Princeton Outmuscle Lipscomb, 71-43

Saturday, December 31

Nashville, Tenn.

1:00 p.m. EST (12:00 p.m. CST)

Princeton University

6-7

Lipscomb

3-12

Princeton

Lipscomb

Photo by: Kobus Reyneke

Alarie's Third Double-Double Helps Princeton Outmuscle Lipscomb, 71-43

December 31, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

NASHVILLE – Freshman Bella Alarie's third double-double of the season pushed Princeton on a third quarter run as it outmuscled the Lipscomb Bisons, 71-43, at Allen Arena on Saturday afternoon.

Alarie led the Tigers with 16 points while her 15 rebounds tied her season-high. She also added a team-best four assists. Senior Vanessa Smith also finished in double-figures with 12 points. Senior Taylor Brown set a career high with nine rebounds and senior Jackie Reyneke matched her personal best with eight boards. The Tigers blocked eight shots in the game with Reyneke and sophomore Sydney Jordan's career-best three swats each leading the defensive effort.

The home squad began the contest by making four of its first five shots to take an 11-8 lead, but layups from juniors Leslie Robinson and Tia Weledji on consecutive possessions put Princeton in front, 12-11, at the first media timeout (4:11). Four more points by the Tigers out of the break push their advantage to five as they led 18-13 after the first quarter. Seven players scored for Princeton in the frame.

A strong defensive outing by both teams led to a combined 14 points as Princeton took a 25-22 advantage into the intermission. Reyneke led the Tigers with five points and five rebounds in the first half.

Lipscomb registered the first four points of the second half to take its first lead since the first quarter. A trey by sophomore Gabrielle Rush broke a scoring dry spell for Princeton, sending the road team back ahead, 28-26. After the two teams exchanged buckets, the Tigers went on a 10-2 outburst, expanding its lead to double-digits (40-30) with 1:53 remaining. Alarie's running bucket from the foul line as time expired made the Tigers go up 44-33 after three frames.

The Bisons sank the first basket of the fourth quarter, setting the score at 44-36 as the clock ticked near nine and half minutes, but Princeton's defense put the clamps down the rest of the way. The Tigers went on a 14-0 sprint to extend its lead to 22, highlighted by six points from Alarie. The jump continued as Princeton would lead by as many as 31, outscoring Lipscomb 27-10 in the quarter, en route to the victory.

The Tigers went 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) in the fourth stanza including five of their last seven. They scored 46 second half points, compared to Lipscomb's total (43) in the entire game. Head coach Courtney Banghart's unit had a season-best 61 rebounds, 18 coming off the offensive glass. Princeton assisted on 17 of its 25 made baskets (68 percent).

Princeton finishes the non-conference portion of the 2016-17 schedule at 6-7 while Lipscomb dropped to 3-12. The Tigers begin Ivy League play next Saturday (Jan. 7) vs. Penn at Jadwin Gym. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The game will be featured on the Ivy League Digital Network and ESPN3.