Princeton women have win streak halted

PRINCETON >> The Princeton women’s basketball team’s winning streak is over and coach Courtney Banghart isn’t happy about it.

Phoebe Sterba scored 21 points, including two clutch free throws with 15 seconds remaining and the Quakers drew first blood in the rivalry between the two best teams in the Ivy League with a 66-60 victory at Jadwin Gymnasium on Saturday afternoon.

“We didn’t play real well,” Banghart said after the Tigers (8-8, 0-1) had their seven-game winning run halted. “That was not a Princeton ... we’re better than that.”

The Quakers (9-2, 1-0) outscored Princeton, 2716, in the fourth quarter after the home team surged in front by five after three.

Sterba had 12 of her 21 points in the fourth quarter and finished 5-for-7 from beyond the arc.

“We felt like we needed to play off the momentum of the third quarter, and unfortunately, that didn’t carry over to the end,” said junior forward Bella Alarie, who finished with 21 points and 17 rebounds. “I think this crowd was amazing tonight. We had a lot of people who showed up and were cheering us on.”

The Tigers lost for the first time with Alarie in the lineup. They were 6-0 since she returned from a broken bone in her right hand.

“We didn’t finish possessions,” Banghart said. “The ball didn’t bounce our way a number of times. That was as good as I’ve seen Penn play and they’re going to feel good about this win, and they should. It’s a 14-game season, and I told them before the season, you have to win 12. I’ve been in the league now for almost 20 years and I’ve won well over half of the titles I’ve been in the Ivy League and if you win 12, you win the Ivy League title.”

Carlie Littlefield added 13 points for Princeton, but missed on a layup attempt with 15 seconds left that would have tied the game.

TCNJ 71, RAMAPO 53 >> Shannon Devitt scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds and the Lions (8-5, 7-0) honored their 2009 Final Four team by remaining undefeated in NJAC play. TCNJ 85, RAMAPO 83 >> P.J. Ringel made two free throws with two seconds left and the Lions (9-5, 5-2) picked up an NJAC victory over the Roadrunners (10-4, 4-3). Randy Walko paced five TCNJ players in double figures with 20 points and Ringel finished with 16.