Princeton University Athletics
5 Things From Women's Hoops' Sweep over Yale, Brown
February 22, 2016 | Women's Basketball
Princeton 94, Yale 81: Recap | Box Score
Princeton 83, Brown 57: Recap | Box Score
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Princeton women's basketball team swept its 38th Ivy League weekend in its last 41 attempts with a 94-81 win over the Yale Bulldogs on Friday and 83-57 victory over the Brown Bears on Saturday. The Tigers have won eight straight games and trail the Pennsylvania Quakers for the top spot in the Ivy League standings by one game.
Here are five takeaways as we look back at “Five Things to Watch Out For” from the Yale and Brown weekend.
1. Princeton turn the ball over a combined 48 times against Brown (Jan. 29) and Yale (Jan. 30) last month. Over the weekend, the Tigers improved with 15 less miscues over the two games. Coming into the weekend Brown (10.3) and Yale (9.2) were the top teams in the conference in steals per game and were held under those totals against Princeton.
2. Princeton allowed Yale to get to the foul line just six times in the first 20 minutes of game action as the road team took a 50-28 advantage at halftime. The Bulldogs cut their deficit to eight points in the fourth quarter, helped by going 19-of-21 from the charity stripe. Princeton made eight free throws over the final 2:19 to help seal the win.
3. Yale has taken the most three-pointers in the conference (511), but ranks last in three-point field goal percentage (30.5 percent). The Bulldogs was 6-of-16 (37.5 percent) while the Tigers were lights out, going 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from long range. Princeton remains one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country (15th) at 37.0 percent.
4. Despite Brown holding teams under 30 percent from the floor (28.8) heading into the weekend, Princeton went 30-of-52 (57.7 percent) in the game. In the crucial third quarter that saw the Tigers put the game away, head coach Courtney Banghart's squad shot 9-of-17 (52.9 percent) and held Brown to three baskets.
5. Princeton is one of the best rebounding teams in the country, ranking third in rebounding margin (+15.4) and fourth in rebounds (46.3) and defensive rebounds per game (31). Against Brown, who has the worst rebounding margin in the Ivy League (-4.1), the Tigers outrebounded their opponent, 46-31.
Princeton's road trip will continue next week as it travels to Columbia on Feb. 26 and Cornell the next night (Feb. 27). The Tigers took down Cornell, 71-51 and Columbia, 86-54 earlier this month.