PU women’s hoops leaves legacy
The Princeton University women’s basketball team could only tip its cap to Maryland after the Spokane Region top seed eliminated them from the NCAA tournament Monday.
The rest of the country could tip its hat to the Tigers, who gave the Terrapins all they could handle for a half before falling, 85-70, to Maryland.
”Our kids obviously showed they believed they could win the game,” said Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart. “It’s unfortunate that this collection of individuals, you won’t get to see them play another game. It’s too bad. This is a really good team.”
The Tigers gave validation that their No. 8 seeding was too low. Of the second-round games for top seeds, Princeton’s was the closest at the half — they were a turnover away from possibly tying Maryland in the final minute of the first half but trailed, 42-38, at the break. An early 17-2 run to start the second half was too much to overcome for Princeton, ranked 13th in both polls, as it team ranked third nationally. The first loss concluded the Tigers’ magical historic season at 31-1 overall.
”Meeting Maryland on their home floor as a 1 is disappointing for the women’s game,” Banghart said. “These are two really good teams. To grow as a game, you want to have your best teams late into the season. These were two really good teams that were pitted up against each other. I would love to play Maryland. I would like to play them later. But we would have had to beat them at some point. Our season ended a little earlier than we would have liked.”
Princeton followed its game plan, and Maryland responded in a way that they never have. Through their first 33 games, Maryland had shot 33 percent from 3-point range. Even at home, where they were 16-0, they had never shot 50 percent even once from beyond the arc. They averaged just under 30 percent on 3s at home. Yet against the Tigers, they connected on 12-of-20 3-pointers and an astounding 87.5 percent in the second half.
”They came out really fired up and they were making their shots,” said PU point guard Blake Dietrick. “They shot 87.5 percent from 3 in the second half. If that’s what it takes to beat us, great. We did a pretty good job of defending. We wish we could obviously get that run back.”
Princeton cut into the Maryland lead after the run, but never came closer than a dozen points after the Terrapins’ run. Maryland is just the third team to outrebound Princeton this year, 35-29, but the Tigers did show their inside ability all game. They outscored Maryland, 46-20, in the paint but the nation’s top shooting 3-point team made just 4-of-17 from beyond the arc.
”They locked up their perimeter, they weren’t going to give up 3s, that’s why we got some easy baskets at the rim,” Banghart said. “We instead protected the paint. And we were going to ask them to shoot at a high percentage. We were going to play the math game on that. They kept shooting well.”
Dietrick delivered one of her finest performances of the season on the big stage. The senior co-captain led Princeton with 26 points and tied for the game-high with three steals.
”I was trying to take what they gave us,” Dietrick said. “They were pretty good at contesting the 3, so the drive was open.”
Dietrick did not turn the ball over once. On Tuesday, she was named an All-Region selection for her consistent play all season, and Monday’s game left little doubt that she deserved it.
”To play well,” Banghart said, “you need your star to be a star, and that’s what she was.”
Dietrick had help as usual. Annie Tarakchian had seven points, six rebounds and six assists to go with three steals, Alex Wheatley had 10 points, and Vanessa Smith came off the bench to score 15 points and haul in four rebounds.
”Vanessa has had her career the right way,” Banghart said. “She came in and had a lot to learn. She had to learn the process. This year, she’s a better version of what she was last year. We’ll need that similar jump. Why we’re better is because everyone is better than they were last year. We need it from her and all of them.”
The improvements from last year to this year enabled the Tigers to not only put together an unforgettable perfect regular season, but pick up their first NCAA tournament win Saturday over Green Bay. For the first time, Banghart and her players had a game to prepare Sunday for a second NCAA game. Last year, they won a WNIT game after a disappointing second-place finish in the Ivy League. Princeton took a big step from there.
”This year’s team, they created their own story,” Banghart said. “We expect next year’s team to create their own story. If these guys want to have a story worth sharing, they’re going to want to be better than they were this year.
”So much of the college game is on the moment. So little is on the preparation. We’ve been good at the preparation to get to the moment.”
As the NCAA tournament hit, the Tigers gained national attention for their perfect regular season and picked up some fans along the way. President Barack Obama was in the stands to see their first-round win. On Monday, it was PU graduates and current Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan that took in the game against Maryland.
”I leave with such enormous pride, not just in the numbers, but how they did it,” Banghart said. “I look at this team as a real connector. The amount of people in our university community that connected to this team because of how they went about their work is an honor I’ll never forget. We had people from all over the walks of Princeton life totally invested in this team. We were grateful and we played in their honor.
”They became a story nationwide,” she added. “They became America’s Team. They connected so many Princetonian’s back to this team. They did that with how they played and who they were.”
They made for a memorable group for Banghart to spend every day with, and she enjoyed the connection that she had. She also could celebrate every step of their incredible run.
”I’ve enjoyed it all year,” Banghart said. “Partly, because they’re a wonderful group of people to be around. This collection particularly won’t be around. That’s sad. They’re wonderful collection of people. I’ve enjoyed it. I’m taking it in.”
The Tigers left Monday without regrets. They proved that they could play with anyone in the country, and if Maryland had a more typical shooting night, and if Princeton did the same, the Tigers would have been right there at the end of Monday’s game.
”Including this game, I could not be prouder of my teammates and how they have allowed me to have the best senior season I possibly could have asked for,” Dietrick said. “Hopefully my basketball career is not over, but it is at Princeton, and that’s really sad. But in this moment, I’m just happy and proud of every single one of them. I couldn’t ask for a better team.”
Dietrick and Mariah Smith are the only seniors in the regular rotation that the Tigers will graduate, and Princeton can hope that it can retain Banghart, who is a hot coaching commodity. Banghart helped to steer the Tigers to the greatest season in Ivy history and she loved the ride.
”What this team did was they made history,” Banghart said. “All you want to do in your life, and I told them that (after the loss), is to leave a legacy and do something with impact. And there’s not anyone attached to this team that doesn’t think they didn’t do both of those things. They left a legacy that will be remembered forever and they made an impact that has touched so many. You hope that your life’s work can at some point in your life do both of those things. This particular team did them both in the same year. I don’t think anybody will forget this team, me included. I’m really proud of them.”
