For the first time in nearly a month, Princeton’s women played a basketball game at home. The Tigers made the most of their homecoming Wednesday, holding off the Rhode Island Rams, 66-54, in a game the Orange and Black led wire to wire.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for Princeton and avenged a frustrating loss to the Rams a year ago in Kingston.
The Tigers got on the scoreboard first on a sweet mid-range jumper by Fadima Tall. The sophomore swing player from Silver Spring, Md. had another strong game for the Tigers, stuffing the stat sheet with 13 points, seven rebounds and five assists. For her efforts, Tall was named the ESPN Player of the Game.
The Tigers took charge of the game right away by getting four consecutive stops as Rhode Island struggled to find the range all night under the lights at Jadwin. The Rams netted only 20 of 59 shots for a subpar 33.9%. In contrast, the Tigers converted 27 of 53 shots for a 50.9%.
A corner three by Skye Belker pushed the Tigers lead to 5-0. The Rams finally got something going when Sophia Vital drove into the paint and hit a high arching shot off the glass.
A spin-move on the baseline from Ashley Chea gave Princeton an 8-4 lead with 5:28 to go in the first quarter. The sophomore guard was Princeton’s most productive player from the field, scoring a game-high 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc.
The first quarter ended with Princeton firmly in control, 19-11.
The Rams charged back in the second stanza. Hawa Komara, a 6-foot forward from Toulouse, France, finished a layup over Parker Hill and later swished two free throws to bring the Rams to within four, 22-18, with just under six minutes to play in the first half.
Komara led Rhode Island with 13 points and is one of five players on the Rams’ roster from France. Overall, Rhode Island has imported 9 players from overseas, including 2 recruits from Finland along with players from India and Canada.
A smooth looking, left-handed layup by Tabitha Amanze, one of two in the quarter for the junior center, finished the first half scoring for Princeton as the Tigers took a 33-26 lead into the locker room. Amanze finished the game with a career high 14 points.
The Tigers were led in the first half by Chea’s 11 points, but what really stood out was the lack of Tiger turnovers. After 20 minutes of play, Princeton had only turned the ball over only twice. The youthful Tigers have struggled with ball security all season, but Rhode Island chose not to pressure the Tigers until late in the game, a decision that may have helped the Tigers play one of their most disciplined games of the season.
The third quarter see-sawed until a 6-2 run brought Rhode Island to within three, 41-38, with 5:21 to go in the frame. But a corner three by Cristina Parrella quashed the Rams’ run and the third quarter ended where it started, with Princeton on top by seven, 51-44.
In the fourth quarter, Princeton wore down the Rams with solid defense and strong play from its bench.
Mari Bickley hit a straight-away trey, a layup and a sweet, step-back jumper to prevent any chance of a Rhode Island comeback. Bickley’s seven points, all in the final stanza, were a season high for the 5-foot-10 guard from Akron, Ohio.
After the game, Fadima Tall praised Bickley’s performance.
“She’s a dog,” Tall told the ESPN announcers. “She knows when to come in and turn it on. She can do whatever she wants whenever she has the ball.”
Meanwhile, Rhode Island couldn’t get anything going on offense against a connected Princeton defense. The Tigers completely shut down the Rams, allowing only a single free throw in the final seven-plus minutes of the game as Princeton coasted to a 66-54 victory.
The only blemish on the evening for Princeton was a mediocre performance on the defensive glass as the Tigers yielded 17 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points to a Rhode Island team (4-8) that has now lost five games in a row.
The win boosted Princeton’s record to 6-4 and signaled more good things to come from the Tigers as they contest six more games at Jadwin during this current seven-game home stand.
The Tigers’ action is on Dec. 21 against the Vermont Catamounts in a tilt that tips at noon ET at Jadwin Gym.