Suffocating Defense Helps Princeton In Victory Over Harvard, 80-47

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PRINCETON, N.J. – Behind a suffocating defensive performance, the Princeton Tigers (15-4, 5-1 Ivy) dispatched the Harvard Crimson (13-7,4-2 Ivy), 80-47, at Jadwin Gym on Friday evening.

The Tigers held the Crimson to their lowest scoring total of the season. Harvard had scored at least 80 in its previous four games.

Gabrielle Rush recorded a career-high 19 points on 6-of-9 shooting (66.7 percent) while knocking down four three-pointers. Carlie Littlefield also sank four treys, leading to a personal-best 18 points. Leslie Robinson just missed a triple-double with six points, 12 rebounds and a career-high eight assists. Bella Alarie had four points, eight rebounds, and her 100th career block. She is eighth all-time in career blocks.

The Tigers rolled out with nine of the first 11 points, using stifling defense as the Crimson made just one basket in the first five minutes of game action. Harvard climbed within four before Princeton took a 10-point advantage into the second quarter and posted the first eight points of the second frame to jump ahead, 25-7. The Tigers extended its lead to that 18-point margin in just four minutes, using a 14-0 run and four three-pointers.

Harvard got as close as 10 on several occasions before the home squad took a 38-27 lead into the intermission. Princeton was 7-of-14 (50 percent) in the second stanza and finished with five three-pointers in half.

Much like the second quarter, head coach Courtney Banghart's team sprinted out with an early push, scoring seven straight (45-27), leading to a Harvard timeout (8:43) in the third frame. A bucket from Harvard's Sydney Skinner hardly slowed down Princeton as the Tigers snagged 10 consecutive points to push in front by 26, 55-29. Littlefield scored eight of the team's 10 points in that stretch and Harvard never threatened the rest of the way.

Princeton finished with 11 three-pointers in the game, including a 5-of-6 stretch in the third quarter. The Tigers outscored Harvard, 28-8, in that frame and led by as many as 35 in the fourth quarter. The bench tied its season best with 39 points with six players scoring in the game. The home unit never trailed in the game and assisted on 18-of-28 made baskets.

Madeline Raster led Harvard with 13 points. The Crimson had a combined five buckets in the first and third quarters. Harvard's 17 baskets and 27.9 percent shooting are its second lowest totals of the season in each category.

The Tigers will welcome Dartmouth to Jadwin on Saturday (5 p.m.) The Big Green dropped a 65-47 decision to Penn tonight to fall to 12-8 overall and 4-3 in the Ivy League. The game will be streamed on the Ivy League Network.

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