“I’m trying to be prepared mentally for our game, because I want to win. I want to win bad.”
– IU Graduate Guard Ali Patberg
With Charlotte out of the way, only Princeton stands between the Indiana University Women’s Basketball team and their second consecutive NCAA Sweet Sixteen. These two teams look very similar from a statistics perspective, and home court advantage might be necessary to get past this obstacle, a misnomer at an 11th seed.
Regardless of the outcome, this match-up will also mark the last time that four of your Indiana Hoosiers will play at home, Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall: Grace Waggoner, Nicole Cardano-Hillary, Aleksa Gulbe, and the team’s leader and 7-year collegiate athlete, Ali Patberg.
“I love Assembly Hall,” said Patberg. “I grew up coming to games. Dreamed about playing here, and I’m just thankful that I had two more games than I normally would have,” Patberg refenced Assembly Hall hosting these two NCAA Tournament Rounds.
But even during this emotional moment, this veteran player plans to stay focused on the goals.
Patberg added, “. . . I’m just trying to stay in the moment. I’m trying to be prepared mentally for our game, because I want to win. I want to win bad. And so, I’m trying not to think about it, honestly. But like I said, I’m just thankful that I get another game in Assembly Hall. And I’m going to make the most of it. We’re going to make the most of it.”
And winning would mean that the Hoosiers would continue their season, stepping closer to their pre-season goal of a Final Four berth, and the opportunity to compete for a National Championship.
But the 11th seed is no slouch. They haven’t lost since mid-December 2021 and are coming off of a decisive win against the 6th seeded Kentucky Wildcats, a team which won the super competitive SEC Championship.
So, let’s look at the 2021-22 Princeton Tigers . . .
Head Coach Carla Berube
Princeton Head Coach Carla Berube is a 1997 graduate of the University of Connecticut (played under Head Coach Geno Auriemma), where she accomplished 4 Big East Championship Titles, 2 Sweet 16 appearances, and won the NCAA National Championship. She scored 1,381 points during her career, and her team went 132-8 in her 4 years.
She became the head Coach at Tufts in 2002, where she went 384-96 in 17 seasons while reaching the NCAA Division III Final twice, the Final 4 four times, and the Sweet 16 nine times. She won the Pat Summitt Trophy in 2015 as the Division III National Coach of the Year.
This is her second year leading the Tigers. Last season they did not play, however, in 2019-20, went 26-1, finishing with a 22-game winning streak. The Tigers’ streak was the second longest in the country, behind #1 South Carolina. They ended the season with a RPI of #9.
2022 Tigers
- This year, the Tigers are 25-5 (14-0 Ivy League)
- They won the Ivy League Championship Regular Season and Tournament
- Princeton has an 18-game winning season and has not lost in 2022
- Earlier in the season, Princeton defeated #22 Florida Gulf Coast 58-55
- The Tigers defeated 6th seeded Kentucky, 69-62, in the NCAA First Round
Tiger Starters
Ellie Mitchell (F): 6.2 points / 10.2 rebounds / 1.5 assists
Kaitlyn Chen (G) 10.5 points / 2.8 rebounds / 3.3 assists
Julia Cunningham (G) 13.3 points / 5.5 rebounds / 1.9 assists
Grace Stone (G) 9.2 points / 3.7 rebounds / 2.4 assists
Abby Meyers(G) 18.2 points / 5.9 rebounds / 1.6 assists
Princeton / Indiana Side by Side Comparison
FG% 42% (P) / 45% (IU)
3PT% 35% (P) / 33% (IU)
FT% 75% (P) / 75% (IU)
Points 68.8 (P) / 72.2 (IU)
Rebounds 39.4 (P) / 36.3 (IU)
Steals 10.1 (P) / 6.7 (IU)
Assists 13.7 (P) / 14.5 (IU)
Blocks 2.7 (P) / 3.3 (IU)
Gametime
8pm on Monday, March 21st (ESPN family)
2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament IU Pep Rally
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