Tigers' Defense Sets Tone In 65-27 Win Over Lafayette

Wednesday, December 7

Princeton, N.J.

6:00 p.m.

Princeton University

4-4

Lafayette

1-9

Lafayette

Princeton

Photo by: Noel Valero

Tigers' Defense Sets Tone In 65-27 Win Over Lafayette

December 07, 2016 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. – For just the second time since 1981, the Princeton Tigers held an opponent under 30 points with a 65-27 victory over the Lafayette Leopards at Jadwin Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The Leopards' 27 points are tied for the fewest allowed by Princeton during the Courtney Banghart era.

Penn., on Mar. 8, 2011, was the last opponent held under 30 points (78-27) while Barnard, now Columbia, scored just 14 on Jan. 8, 1981.

After allowing 18 points in the first half to Lafayette, Princeton gave up only one basket in the third stanza and nine total points in the second half. The Leopards matched Rutgers with a Princeton opponent-low 11 buckets in the game.

Junior Tia Weledji set a new career high with 20 points on 8-of-16 (50 percent) from the floor while also tying her personal best with seven rebounds. Senior Taylor Brown made a new benchmark with five assists along with 14 points, four rebounds and two steals. Senior Vanessa Smith added 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists and a steal. Freshman Bella Alarie blocked four shots in the win.

Following a layup from Lafayette's Oliva Gumbs at the 5:42 mark, the Tigers registered nine of the next 10 points to take a 13-5 lead in the first quarter. Weledji's three-pointer with 40 seconds left gave Princeton its first double-digit advantage (20-9).

Lafayette couldn't muster any offense, going 6:51 of game time between the first two stanzas without a basket before a three-point play from Harriet Ottewill-Soulsby (23-13) with 5:07 remaining briefly slowed down Princeton's offensive attack. A 10-5 push from the Tigers set the halftime score at 33-18.

The Leopards went 1-of-12 from the field in the third quarter, their only basket coming as time expired. Lafayette did not make any of its six long-range attempts and turned the ball over nine times in the frame. The road team had an 11-minute scoring drought as Princeton led 43-20 after 30 minutes of action, keeping Lafayette at distance for the remainder of the game.

The Tigers' bench scored 34 points tonight. It was also the fifth straight contest that Princeton outrebounded its opponent (52-31) while its 14 steals were a season best.

With the victory, Princeton improves to 4-4 overall while Lafayette falls to 1-9. It was Banghart's 196th career victory. The Tigers travel to Fordham on Saturday with tip-off set for 2 p.m.