Princeton University Athletics
DANCING! Women's Hoops Heading to the NCAA Tournament!
March 15, 2016 | Women's Basketball
NCAA Tournament Bracket
PRINCETON, N.J. – The Princeton women's basketball team made history as it became the first Ivy League team to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament since the league received an automatic qualifier status.
“It's an unbelievable honor to be playing in the NCAA Tournament,” said head coach Courtney Banghart. “We played a very difficult non-conference schedule and we're so grateful that the selection committee rewarded us for our body of work.” Banghart stated “I'm bursting with pride for my team that became the first team in Ivy League history to earn an at-large bid.”
This is the sixth time in program history that the team has reached the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers made four straight trips to the Big Dance from 2010-14 and then made the trip again last season. In 2015, the team won its first NCAA game over Green Bay, 80-70 and became just the second Ivy League team to ever win a contest in the NCAA Tournament.
Princeton was one of the last four at-large teams in the tournament and is the No. 11 seed in the Sioux Falls, S.D. region. The Tigers will take on the No.6 seeded West Virginia Mountaineers on Friday at noon. The Mountaineers went 24-9 and advanced to the Big 12 semifinals. West Virginia has two wins over the Associated Press's Top 25. The Tigers and Mountaineers have never faced each other.
Princeton currently stands at 23-5 on the season. After a loss at Seton Hall (Nov. 19), the Tigers won seven straight contests, highlighted by wins over Michigan (Dec. 6) and Pittsburgh (Dec. 12). Following back-to-back losses including a 90-70 decision to No. 10/No. 12 Ohio State (Dec. 18), the team won two games to finish 11-3 during the non-conference portion of its schedule.
The Tigers were defeated by Penn in the Ivy Opener (Jan. 9). Princeton proceeded to then win 12 consecutive Ivy League matchups to set up a de facto Ivy League Championship against Penn (Mar. 8). During the team's 12-game winning streak, Princeton outscored its opponents by an average of 22.7 points. While the Quakers took down the Tigers, 62-60, Princeton reached the NCAA Tournament as an at large team.