PAINFUL EXPERIENCE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Alex Wheatley winces as she battles a foe in the paint in recent action. Last Saturday at Penn, senior forward Wheatley scored a team-high 12 points but it wasn’t enough as Princeton fell 50-48 to the Quakers in the Ivy League opener for both teams. The Tigers, now 11-4 overall and 0-1 Ivy, are on exam break and will return to action when they host Brown on January 29 and Yale on January 30. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Courtney Banghart has been urging her Princeton University women’s basketball team to deliver the first punch against foes this season to set the tone in games.

But last Saturday as Princeton played at Penn in the Ivy League opener for both teams, the Quakers hit the Tigers with an early flurry, taking a 21-15 lead at halftime and stretching the margin to 26-16 early in the third quarter. Princeton answered back with a 13-0 run to forge ahead 29-26. The Tigers led 44-41 with 4:16 left in regulation but got outscored 9-4 over the rest of the contest to fall 50-48.

Princeton head coach Banghart is hoping that her squad didn’t suffer a knockout blow with the loss to the Quakers. “We clearly expected to play better and we didn’t and that is why they call it a game,” said Banghart, whose team is currently on exam break and doesn’t have any games until it hosts Brown on January 29 and Yale on January 30.

“So we are looking forward. We know it is a 14-game season and so far we are 0-1. I hope next time out we are 20 days better; otherwise it is going to be a long season.”

In assessing the defeat, Banghart credited Penn with displaying more mental toughness down the stretch of the contest.

“They had players who played with aggressive passion in the fourth quarter,” said Banghart, who got 10 points and seven rebounds from junior Vanessa Smith while senior star Annie Tarakchian chipped in seven points and matched her career-high with 17 rebounds.

“We were a little more timid. We thought we crossed this bridge when we played out at Dayton (rallying from a 47-32 halftime deficit before falling 85-81 in the December 20 contest). We have really nice kids that are tough as nails but don’t have quite the edge that we need. It had been a work in progress all year and today they caught us on a day where we just didn’t play with enough edge from the start and that is their Achilles heel. They have to figure it out and I have to help them.”

Princeton senior forward Alex Wheatley, who scored all of her team-high 12 points in the second half, was determined to be tougher after halftime.

“I think being aggressive,” said Wheatley, reflecting on her second half surge which helped spark Princeton’s third quarter rally.

“At halftime all of us knew we had to step up and point inward on our game to take the shots we wanted and get the right shots. I think the second half was about making a statement in that way.”

After Princeton made a major statement last year, cruising to a 14-0 Ivy mark on the way to a 30-0 regular season, the Tigers know they are in for a much bumpier ride this winter.

“I told them that at the end of the game that if you guys thought you were going undefeated, I have got big news for you,” said Banghart, whose team’s last Ivy defeat came when it lost 80-64 to Penn on March 11, 2014.

“This is a much better league than it has been and with the back-to-back play, it is going to be a battle. We have three weekends on the road.”

Banghart believes her team is ready for the fight. “I love that battle and that is what I want every night,” said Banghart, whose team struggled offensively against Penn, shooting an anemic 28.1 percent from the floor (18-for-64).

“That is what our league should build every night. I think with this group we will win most of those but not today.”

The loss to Penn will prompt some soul searching over the exam hiatus.

“I like the pieces that we have, this is my ride or die crew and I really like it,” maintained Banghart.

“We are an imperfect crew still. What these kids love to do is hard and that is get better. I am looking forward to helping them get better. They have to come out of their comfort zone a little bit.”