Box Score
In the first game between the Princeton women's basketball
team and Illinois State since the 1996 WNIT, it was the Tigers who employed a
second half surge to propel past the Redbirds, 67-50, Wednesday evening in
Normal, Ill. The victory snaps Princeton's two-game skid and improves the squad
to 7-4 on the year.
Niveen Rasheed led the Tigers notching her third
double-double of the year with 21 points, going 10-for-18 from the field, and
10 rebounds, as Princeton shot 47.5 percent (29-for-61) from the field, while
holding ISU to 23.4 percent (15-for-64).
From the opening tip resulting in a Blake Dietrick triple,
the Tigers forced a quickened pace as they jutted out to a 12-4 lead over the first
five minutes of play.
Princeton remained in control for much of the half relying
on a stringent defense, while connecting on shots and going on 9-2 run to
expand its lead. Amidst that run, Megan Bowen established the Tigers' first
double figure differential, 17-6, at 13:44.
The Redbirds contested Princeton's double-digit advantage as
the half wound down, taking their first lead, 28-26, off a Katy Winge trey with 2:56 to play.
Both sides traded baskets over the final minutes of action
to enter halftime knotted 32-32.
Like the first half, Princeton opened with the advantage and
took off on a 7-0 run behind three Bowen points to reestablish its lead, 39-32,
with 18:26 left in regulation.
She finished with 11 points and five boards.
Unable to sustain their early momentum surge, the Tigers saw
Illinois State come as close as 41-38 at 14:37.
After nearly two scoreless minutes, Kate Miller buried a
three to resurge the Tigers and open an 18-8 run, including a 10-0 rally, over 8:23
minutes to put Princeton up for good.
Freshman Michelle Miller tallied a career-high 14 points,
going 6-for-9 from the field, including a pair of threes, while Dietrick had eight points in her second career start.
The Tigers only had four free throw attempts, going a
perfect 4-for-4, to the Redbirds' 18-for-24. Princeton held differentials in
rebounding (41-42), assists (13-7), blocks (8-1) and steals (7-6) in the
all-around team victory.
The Tigers wrap up their Illinois state road trip in Chicago
at DePaul (9-3) on Friday, Nov. 21 at 8 p.m. ET.
