HOLDING COURT: Princeton University women’s basketball head coach Courtney Banghart stares out at the court during a game this season. Under Banghart’s leadership, Princeton captured national attention as it brought a 30-0 record into the opening rounds of the NCAA tournament last weekend. Writing the final chapters to an historic saga, eighth-seeded Princeton edged No. 9 Wisconsin-Green Bay 80-70 last Saturday in a first round contest before falling 85-70 to top-seed and host Maryland on Monday. The win over Green Bay marked the first NCAA tournament victory in program history. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

If there was any doubt that the Princeton University women’s basketball team had captured the imagination of those far and near with its 30-0 regular season, the scene at the XFINITY Center in College Park, Md. last Saturday gave conclusive proof of the team’s impact.

As eighth-seeded Princeton faced No. 9 Wisconsin-Green Bay in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the eyes of the nation were on the 30-0 Tigers. The game was televised on ESPN2 and President Obama, whose niece, Leslie Robinson, is a freshman player on Princeton, was on hand in the sixth row behind the Tiger bench. A raucous horde of orange clad Princeton fans in attendance made the gym feel like Jadwin south.

Princeton head coach Courtney Banghart acknowledged that the scene made her a bit nervous.

“I think people are really rooting for us; that added some pressure for me,” said Banghart, whose team produced the best regular season record in Ivy League hoops history, men’s or women’s.

“I know this is a really good story and I didn’t want it to end. In the NCAA tournament, a tough couple of possessions can end it. I think this has become America’s team and it is a great team to root for because they are made of the right people.”

In the first half, the 13th-ranked Tigers had some shaky possessions, making 12 turnovers and giving up some layups as Green Bay took a 35-34 lead at halftime.

“I don’t think that we played so well in the first half but instead of those guys getting in a shell and saying we were missing a great opportunity, they just got better and that was what they have done all year,” said Banghart.

Playing sharper at both ends of the court, the Tigers pulled away to an 80-70 win over the Phoenix, earning the first NCAA tourney win in program history and just the second ever for an Ivy women’s team.

The Princeton supporters on hand, including a beaming President Obama, were in an uproar as the Tigers closed in on the historic win.

“To think of how many people were there supporting us, all the way from our Princeton administration to our alums who so badly wanted to win in their years, it was a home game for us,” said Banghart, who got 20 points from junior Michelle Miller in the win with junior Annie Tarakchian contributing 19 points and 17 rebounds and classmate Alex Wheatley adding 15 points and 10 rebounds.

“Today Princeton was here in full effect and that was really special, that is a really great college basketball environment for women’s basketball. To draw that many home-based fans is special. I am a proud coach and I am really happy for these kids. At Princeton, you are part of something and we felt like we were part of something really special today.”

Princeton senior guard Blake Dietrick and her teammates were determined to make the Tiger fans happy with a big second half.

“I think we came out with an attitude of OK we have got our feet wet, we know we are in this game, we know we can win this game,” said Dietrick, recalling the team’s mindset at halftime.

“We know we can play a lot better than we did in that first half. We were smiling, we were happy, we were good. We were ready to play the game we love. I just think that change really helped us.

Miller, for her part, fed off the support from the stands. “We had great energy from our fans,” said Miller.

“It just got me more excited to play this game. I think anytime you have the president in your fan base, you automatically win that contest.”

For Banghart, who had been winless in eight previous appearances in the NCAA, four times as a player and assistant coach at Dartmouth before four trips as head coach of the Tigers from 2010-13, the triumph was an exciting breakthrough.

“This means a lot because it is something that we will remember forever,” said Banghart.

“Those kids in the locker room will always have a win in a tournament game. I have been a fan of the NCAA tournament forever and I will always be. To have an opportunity to be someone who is able to bring our team to the second round of the NCAA tournament is a highlight. I am enormously proud of Princeton; it is a place that deserves this moment and I am just the one who is in charge of speaking on behalf of them.”

On Monday in the second round contest against top-seeded and host Maryland, the Tigers had their moments. Battling the Terps tooth-and-nail in a riveting first half, the Tigers led 30-26 with five minutes left and trailed just 42-38 at intermission.

But with Maryland heating up from the perimeter, the Terps opened the half with a 20-4 run to seize control of the contest. Hitting 7-of-8 shots from three-point range over the last 20 minutes, the Terps pulled away to an 85-70 win. Dietrick led Princeton with 26 points with sophomore Vanessa Smith scoring 15 in 28 minutes off the bench.

“What a great college basketball game as we expected it to be,” said Banghart in a video of her postgame press conference included on the Princeton athletics website.

“I give a lot of credit to Maryland. We forced them to shoot really well to beat us and that was our goal going in, we were going to make them make shots from the perimeter, 15 feet and out. Man they shot the ball really well. Anyone who watched the game will see that it was two really, really good teams and it is not about anything besides that. Two good teams battling and unfortunately we were not the team that won the game.”

While junior star Wheatley was disappointed by the outcome, the loss didn’t dim what the Tigers had accomplished this winter.

“I don’t think I can summarize it yet, it is still sinking in,” said Wheatley, who had 10 points and three rebounds in the defeat to Maryland. “I am so proud of my teammates. This season has been absolutely phenomenal; 31-1 is something to be really proud of and something I won’t soon forget.”

Banghart, for her part, provided a fitting summary of what the Tigers achieved in their season for the ages.

“What this team did is they made history,” said Banghart. “All you want to do in your life is to leave a legacy and do something of impact. There is not anyone attached to this team that doesn’t think they did both of those things. They left a legacy that will be remembered forever and they made an impact that has touched so many. You hope that sometime in your life’s work you do both of those things. This particular team did them both in the same year. I don’t think anybody will forget this team, including me. It was really fun.”