MARCHING ON: Princeton University women’s basketball player Ashley Chea, center, looks to get past two defenders in a game earlier this season. Last Friday, sophomore guard Chea scored 15 points in a losing cause as the third-seeded Tigers fell 70-67 to third-seeded Harvard in the semifinals of the Ivy Madness postseason tournament in Providence, R.I. The Tigers, who moved to 21-7 with the defeat, later earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they are seeded 11th and will play fellow 11-seed Iowa State in a First Four game on March 19 at Notre Dame. The victor will then face sixth-seeded Michigan in a first round contest on March 21. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

It is an oft-stated sports adage that it is hard to beat the same team three times in a single season.

Last Friday, the Princeton University women’s basketball team found out the hard way that there is some truth to that saying. After having defeated Harvard twice in regular season action, the third-seeded Tigers lost 70-67 to the third-seeded Crimson in the semifinals of the Ivy Madness postseason tournament in Providence, R.I.

“Going into the game, we knew it was going to be a challenge, they put together a great 40 minutes,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube, whose team was done in by a spectacular 44-point school record performance by Harvard star guard Harmoni Turner, the Ivy League Player of the Year. “Harmoni Turner was Harmoni Turner, an All-American and one of the best players in the country.”

Weathering the outburst by Turner, Princeton battled to the end, narrowing the gap to 68-67 on a 3-pointer by Skye Belker with 1:54 left in regulation.

“All of the way until the final buzzer, I had a lot of faith in our team that we could make the plays and come out with a victory,” said Berube, who got 20 points from Belker in the loss with Ashley Chea chipping in 15. “Harvard made those plays to win, it is a very, very good team. Clearly they are exceptional but we have two wins against that team, that says a lot about our season and what we have put together. They were just better tonight.”

Despite the defeat, Berube was confident that Tigers had done enough this winter to merit an at-large bid to March Madness.

“I do believe we are an NCAA tournament team, I think we showed that tonight and throughout the course of the season,” maintained Berube. “We are looking forward to Selection Sunday. We will regroup and we know we are going to play some more basketball.”

Berube’s confidence proved to be well-founded as Princeton earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they are seeded 11th and will play fellow 11-seed Iowa State in a First Four game on March 19 at Notre Dame. The victor will then face sixth-seeded Michigan in a first round contest on March 21.

The Tigers were on pins and needles over the weekend as they waited for the Selection Show, which started in 8 p.m. Sunday night.

“After the Friday night loss which was really, really tough. I said it is out of our hands now,” said Berube, whose team moved to 21-7 with the defeat to Harvard. “It is in the hands of the national committee and experts who are going to make that decision. I think they were just a little anxious and nervous.”

Berube, for her part, took a break from the suspense before plugging back into the media speculation on the bracket.

“I will say that I took Saturday off from just anything because I didn’t quite know what was going to happen,” said Berube. “I believed in Charlie Creme (the ESPN women’s hoops bracketologist). I started watching some Iowa State and some Washington because those were some possibilities so I had a little leg up.”

The Tigers were on the edge of their seats for the first 35 minutes of the Selection School before their name flashed on the screen, prompting the players to leap to their feet, screaming and hugging.

It marked the sixth straight NCAA appearance for the program and fifth under Berube who had guided the Tigers to four straight Ivy tournament championships. The selection also made history for the Ivy League as tournament champion Harvard and regular season champion Columbia also made the field, giving the league three teams in the national tournament for the first time ever.

“When our name was called, it was just a lot of joy, excitement,” said Berube. “They know what it is like to play in the NCAA tournament and how grateful we are. There are so many teams and student athletes who don’t get this opportunity. We understand it. We are absolutely thrilled. I can’t say I have been in that position before so it was new. It was really exciting and we are thrilled for the challenge ahead.”

The Tigers face a big challenge in Iowa State, who went 22-11 overall and 12-6 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones are led by the potent one-two punch of center Audi Crooks (23.2 points a game) and guard/forward Addy Brown (15.2 points).

“Iowa State is a very well-coached team, Audi Crooks is a very talented, skilled player,” said Berube. “They are not all Audi Crooks either, they have a very talented team around her. We know the Big 12 a bit from playing West Virginia last year so we know how strong it is. That is a very good team. It is a very good 3-point shooting team. They share the ball very well.”

While overcoming the Cyclones will be tough, the Tigers are primed to take on somebody different.

“It is fun now to be out of the Ivy League against teams that know you so well,” said Berube. “It is a little more personal when you are playing against each other all of the time. Now you are playing a brand new team and it is just a different style. The Big 12 is very different from the Ivy League. Our players are really excited, this is brand new season. Everybody is 0-0.”

Berube believes the Tigers are in a good place as they head into March Madness.

“I think we have got a good rotation, players are stepping up still,” said Berube. “Our sophomores are becoming great leaders. We like where we are right now.”

The Tigers will need its trio of post players, Parker Hill, Tabby Amanze, and Katie Thiers, to step up as it deals with the imposing 6’3 Crooks.

“Parker was a little under the weather Friday so I think Tabby and Katie really stepped up and had some really great minutes,” said Berube. “They are both very capable of coming in and contributing. All three are different and complement each other. I expect all three of them to be out there Wednesday evening.”

Stifling Iowa State will require a group effort. “We need to figure out how to guard them and what is going to be important for Wednesday night,” said Berube. “We are working hard as a staff and figuring out all of those things and having a couple of different ways that we want to defend them. You can’t just go one way and expect to be successful. You need to be ready to adapt to whatever happens challenge-wise. If it is fouls or if they are punishing us inside and scoring at will, you got to do something else. We will be ready and that is what we are working on right now.”

While Princeton starts a quartet of sophomores in Fadima Tall and Olivia Hutcherson along with Belker and Chea, Berube believes they will rise to the occasion under the pressure of March Madness despite their relative youth.

“You can never just simulate what it is like to play on this stage and under these lights and what kind of experience it will be for them,” said Berube. “We are taking this like any other NCAA tournament, whether we were strong in the senior class or we have sophomores starting. They are ready and excited. Those sophomores and our team are upset about Friday night. To have that rebirth and to play in this tournament, I have never seen them that excited. They are going to go full steam ahead and take it head on. They will play for their seniors and not just think that we are sophomores and we will get this opportunity again. You just never know so you make the absolute most out of it.”