GOOD DAY: Princeton University women’s basketball player Amelia Osgood defends a foe in action last season. Last Saturday, guard Osgood came up big on her Senior Night, scoring a game-high and career-high 13 points to help Princeton defeat Yale 71-42. The Tigers, now 18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy League, host Columbia (18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy) in a first-place showdown on February 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Amelia Osgood couldn’t stop smiling last Saturday as she reflected on her Senior Night for the Princeton University women’s basketball team.

After Osgood and her four classmates, Parker Hill, Paige Morton, Katie Thiers, and Adaora Nwokeji, were honored in a pregame ceremony, the quintet started the game against Yale and promptly reeled off a 12-0 run. The Tigers never looked back as they cruised to a 71-42 win over the Bulldogs before a crowd of 1,254 on hand at Jadwin Gym, improving to 18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy League.

Osgood, a 5’8 guard from Brentwood, Tenn., emerged as the star of the night, tallying a game-high and career-high 13 points along with two assists and one rebound.

“It was so special to have our entire families here and then to go out there and play with my fellow seniors,” said Osgood, who came into Saturday averaging 1.3 points a game in 10 appearances off the bench this winter. “I am a molecular biology major and my entire lab was here tonight to celebrate so it just made for such a special night. We were all playing so hard for each other and the outcome was wonderful.”

The five seniors were primed to get Princeton off to a sizzling start against the Bulldogs.

“For senior night, they told us at the beginning of the week so when we were going over scout and stuff, we knew we were going to be starting the game,” said Osgood. “We had a couple of plays that we were going to run. It was really on the defensive end with talking and then on the offensive end, playing for each other and with each other.”

Osgood kept playing well all game long, hitting 5 of 7 shots as she easily surpassed her previous career-high of eight points which came against Hartford in January, 2023.

“I think it was just the atmosphere,” said Osgood, reflecting on her performance. “It was just getting that opportunity and getting to do it in front of all of my teammates and family that I love. I think it was just looking to attack based on the other team. We knew that we could try to get it into the paint and then when I had an open look, I was just shooting it.”

In reflecting on her Princeton hoops experience, Osgood said it has gone too fast.

“There is going to be a lot of ups and downs but you are in such a special place with such incredible people,” said Osgood. “So take every day and live it like it is senior year because it is going to be senior year in two seconds and you are going to want to do the entire thing over again.”

Serving as a team captain this season has been a highlight for Osgood.

“I just love these girls so it is just doing whatever I can, showing up every day no matter what and playing my hardest,” said Osgood. “I am playing super hard during practices and I think that helps the entire team. As a captain, it is just trying to show them the standard of what Princeton basketball should be every day.”

As the Tigers look ahead to the homestretch of the season, Osgood believes that they will show that daily intensity collectively.

“We are trying to get better every single game, that is our goal,” said Osgood of the Tigers who have already qualified for the Ivy Madness postseason tournament. “The Ivy League is very good. We want to be playing our best basketball come the end of the season and tournament time so it is really trying to take each of these games and get better.”

Princeton head coach Carla Berube credited her senior group with making a major impact on the program.

“They have been amazing,” said Berube. “They are incredible leaders, ambassadors for our program, teammates and role models. They have done it all.”

Berube was thrilled by how the quintet performed in their opportunity to start as a unit.

“It was really awesome to see them shine on the court together,” said Berube. “You could just see how much they care for each other and how hard they played together. They were clicking and it didn’t stop. Every time they were together in there, good things were happening. There is chemistry there, they have been playing together for four years.”

Seeing the play of Osgood and Nwokeji, who had a career-high 10 points, was particularly heartening for Berube.

“Amelia was attacking, that is what we were asking them to do, to get to the rim,” said Berube. “She could have pulled threes but she did what she was told and took it to the rim. She found teammates open, she was great. It was great to see Adoara back out there. She has battled injuries her whole career and to be able to shine like that was awesome.”

The awesome effort from the Tiger seniors inspired the whole squad.

“It was special because it was senior night and they are all playing for their seniors to send their careers out in a great note,” said Berube. “They took over, it wasn’t anybody else. It wasn’t anybody else doing it for them. They showed what they can do together.”

With Princeton hosting Columbia (18-5 overall, 9-1 Ivy) on February 22 in a first place showdown, Berube will be looking for a special effort from her players.

“Taking care of the basketball that will be key and just getting good looks offensively,” said Berube, whose team fell 58-50 at Columbia on January 20. “Then playing the Princeton defense that we know we can. We have got a really important week of practice to get ready. We are looking forward to the game. It is going to take a full team effort and playing like that, playing for each other.”

Osgood, for her part, is looking forward to the rematch with Columbia.

“It is a huge game, we have a game plan based on the film,” said Osgood. “We will be preparing for the rest of this week. We are really excited about the opportunity to play them here and have that second chance. You don’t always get to play a team twice and potentially a third time so we really want to take advantage of it.”