Princeton will find out if it receives an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament Monday.
PRINCETON - What a difference a year makes.
Following a regular season that was a perfect 30-0, Princeton finished a very imperfect season Tuesday night at Jadwin Gym, losing an Ivy League showdown against rival Penn 62-60.
The loss gave the Quakers the league championship for the second time in three years and increased its record to 24-4. Princeton had a 12-game winning streak end and is now 23-5.
The win sends Penn into the NCAA tournament. Princeton will find out if it receives an at-large bid when the pairings are announced Monday night on the NCAA Selection Show.
Princeton University women's basketball head coach Courtney Banghart, file photo. "In think it was the Ivy's best going at each other,'' coach Courtney Banghart said (Penn beat Princeton by two in January). They definitely played better. We got beat. I don't think people respect Penn enough; they have a really good team.
"Their big guys made big plays. Anna Ross is one of the best guards in our league (18 points), (Michelle) Nwokedi obviously made some big plays as well (17 points). In possession games big players make big plays. We don't have stars; we're more of a team right now, so possession games are not our favorite.''
Trailing most of the game, Princeton took its first second-half lead, 56-55 with just under two minutes remaining. Penn regained the lead and went up four, Princeton again cut it to two, but four free throws by Kasey Chambers in the final minute ruined the home team's celebration.
Alex Wheatley led the team in scoring with 20 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Despite holding Penn to 34.5 shooting percentage, Princeton was done in by Penn's 16 of 18 free throws.
"Never in my life would I have thought Wheatley was our most aggressive player. She's so gentle and so kind. So for her that was enormous. If her teammates had been as aggressive we would have had a much different outcome.''
Led by 6-foot-3 junior center Sydney Stipanovich, Penn's aggressive zone defense bothered Princeton all night, and the Quakers were able to get out to a first-quarter lead of 14-11. Shots from both teams looked more like medicine balls than basketballs, as they combined to go 7-for-28 and 2-for-8 behind the arc.
Penn took a 19-14 lead and was looking very much in control, but Princeton scored three straight baskets; a right-handed hook down low by Taylor Williams, a turn-around shot in close by Wheatley and a steal and driving layup by Amanda Berntsen.
Up 29-26, Penn trotted off at halftime with a six-point lead after a driving layup and resulting free throw by Ross. Ross led her team with 10 points at the break. Wheatley led Princeton with the same number.
The crowd noise intensified in the final few minutes of the game when Princeton finally took the lead, 56-55 with just under two minutes to play. Penn came right back and grabbed a 58-56 lead, and Princeton called for time with 1:14 to go: Penn ball.
Princeton lost possession when a jump ball was called on offense, and with the arrow pointing to Philadelphia, Chambers was fouled and went down to the other end and buried two free throws.
With 19.4 to play, Princeton was buried as well.
NOTES - Coach Courtney Banghart Ivy League record is 104-19. Her overall nine-year record here is 192-72.
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