BUZZER-BEATER: Princeton University women’s basketball player Ashley Chea looks to unload the ball in a game earlier this season. Last Saturday, sophomore guard Chea drained a buzzer-beating shot to provide the margin of victory as Princeton defeated Harvard 52-50. The Tigers, now 11-4 overall and 2-0 Ivy League, host Dartmouth (8-7 overall, 2-0 Ivy) in January 18 before playing at Columbia (11-4 overall, 2-0 Ivy) on January 20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

The fans at Jadwin Gym rose to their feet last Saturday afternoon as Ashley Chea’s last-second shot flew through the air with the Princeton University women’s basketball team locked in a 50-50 tie against Harvard.

While many in the crowd of 1,961 held their breath, Princeton sophomore guard Chea and the rest of the Tigers had no doubt that her step-back jumper would be good.

“I knew that it was going in,” said Chea. “I honestly work in that shot more than my other shots.”

That work paid off as the shot swished in as the buzzer went off and Chea was mobbed on the court by her screaming teammates in the wake of the dramatic 52-50 win that improved Princeton to 11-4 overall and 2-0 Ivy League.

“I was just happy for everyone out there,” said Chea. “That is when I play at my best.”

Princeton sophomore guard/forward Olivia Hutcherson was confident that Chea’s shot would decide the contest.

“When I saw Ashley hit the little step back, one dribble going left, I know that she makes it nine times out of 10, maybe 10 times out of 10,” said Hutcherson. “I knew that she had that, I was confident and of course she made it, game winner. I am not surprised.”

Princeton head coach Carla Berube saw it the same way.

“It is play that actually worked,” said Berube. “It is something that we have and we have worked on putting Ashley in that position. Sometimes Skye [Belker] is in that position but today it was Ashley. I just knew that she was going hit that shot. We executed it well and the rest is history.”

The Tigers had to execute well to overcome a feisty, talented Harvard squad that brought a 12-1 record into the contest and employed a full-court press that helped turn the game into a nail-biter.

Princeton led 25-18 at halftime but Harvard trimmed the Tiger lead to 39-34 heading into the fourth quarter. The Crimson drew even at 46-46 with 3:38 left in regulation, setting up the dramatic finish as the rivals tied at 48-48 and 50-50 before Chea’s buzzer-beater.

Point guard Chea was proud of the way the Tigers weathered the storm.

“We knew that they were going to press us because it has been tough for us all season long,” said Chea, who tallied nine points with five assists in the win. “We have worked on that all week. We were just more prepared for this than past times.”

Princeton was prepared to fight hard when it was on defense.

“I think that we had more grit today, coach always talks about how important our defense is and how important it is to stop their best player and just all players on the court at all times,” said Chea. “I think that we just knew that we had to come in stronger and tougher and dive for every ball.”

Hutcherson, for her part, played a big role in the strong defensive effort, guarding Harvard star Harmoni Turner and holding her to 15 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

“She is a great player so the goal is just make her work for the shots,” said Hutcherson of Turner who came into the day averaging 20.8 points a game. “She is going to hit tough shots. If we can limit how many shots she makes and just try not to let her get hot and then we win the game.”

Hutcherson’s focus on defense helped her offense as she tallied a career-high 10 points, hitting 4-of-5 shots from the floor.

“My defense always really fuels my offense,” said Hutcherson. “Guarding Harmoni is really tough but I think that was giving me the momentum that I needed to just get to my spots and be there for my teammates if they are getting trapped. It was just get to the mid-range, the corner at the wing and knock it down when I need to.”

Berube, for her part, credited her squad with playing some tough defense as the Tigers held Harvard to 37.3 percent shooting (22 of 59, including just 1 of 15 from 3-point range) and forcing 13 turnovers.

“It is still a work in progress, I thought that they got some open looks that they just didn’t hit too,” said Berube of Harvard, which had averaged 70.3 points a game in its 12-1 start.

“They come in and work every single day and are committed to getting better. We are on the upward trajectory for sure. To keep Harvard to 50 points is a pretty great day. I thought Olivia did a great job. We all did a great job of helping each other and communicating through all of their handoffs and screening action.”

The 5’11 Hutcherson has emerged as key performer this winter after getting into just nine games off the bench as a freshman.

“A lot of times players that didn’t get a lot of time the year before come back and they are confident because they have put in the work over the summer and into the fall,” said Berube of Hutcherson, who has started 11 games so far this winter and is averaging 3.8 points and 4.1 rebounds a contest. “That is what Olivia has done for us and for herself. She is incredibly athletic, you can see that, but she also has a good basketball mind. She is laterally quick and can get to her spots. She has good length too. It was a no-brainer that she was going to be guarding Turner. She is really important on the boards. It was a true test of her will.”

The Tigers showed some will and skill as they dealt with the stifling Harvard press.

“From our Portland game (a 74-55 loss on December 6) to today, we have made a lot of strides,” said Berube, whose team hosts Dartmouth (8-7 overall, 2-0 Ivy) in January 18 before playing at Columbia (11-4 overall, 2-0 Ivy) on January 20. “I thought Fadima [Tall] did a really great job back there. She is someone we really trust with the ball in her hands, making good decisions. There were times where we let up and we were getting a little tired but for the most part I thought we did a great job. We now need to transition from breaking the press to actual offensive execution of a set.”

Chea has earned the trust of her teammates, emerging as a star after serving as an understudy last season to star point guard Kaitlyn Chen, now playing for UConn as a grad transfer.

“She has more confidence and she loves this role; she loves being our point guard and our floor general,” said Berube of Chea, who is averaging 12.4 points and 3.9 assists a game. “You have to take a lot of hits. It is not easy when your coaching staff is all over you because you have got to be running the offense. You are also the first point of defense usually. It is a lot. She has been up for the challenge. From our first game of the year to now, she has just grown so much and matured on the court. Our team loves playing with her. You saw the way they reacted to her making that shot. She puts the work in, that is why she is as successful as she is.”

In Chea’s view, Princeton’s dramatic win over Harvard was a confidence builder as the Tigers get into the thick of their Ivy campaign.

“Today’s game was super important for us and what we are trying to build here,” said Chea.