STREAKING AHEAD: Princeton University women’s basketball player Fadima Tall dribbles upcourt last Saturday as the Tigers hosted Dartmouth. Junior forward Tall scored 15 points and had seven rebounds and two steals to help the Tigers prevail 69-41. On Monday, Tall contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and five steals as Princeton rallied to an 82-79 win over Harvard in overtime to post its 14th straight victory. The No. 20 Tigers, now 16-1 overall and 4-0 Ivy League, play at Brown on January 24. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Fadima Tall was chomping at the bit to get back into action as the Princeton University women’s basketball team hosted Dartmouth last Saturday.
Due to some nagging leg injuries, junior forward Tall was sidelined for Princeton’s 76-50 win over Yale on January 10 and last played for the Tigers in a 74-68 victory over Penn on January 3.
“I am definitely a lot better, I was able to get out there and run and finally be healthy,” said Tall. “It has been more than one injury unfortunately. I am making my way back.”
Tall didn’t waste any time getting back in the flow, scoring on a layup 40 seconds into the contest.
“If I came out bombing threes, it wasn’t going to be a good game,” said Tall. “I am glad I got that little slow start and picked it back up. This is like a good beginning.”
The Tigers picked it up on the defensive end, outscoring Dartmouth 13-5 in the first quarter and building a 36-16 halftime lead on the way to a 69-41 victory.
“We knew coming into this game that we needed to get our defensive vigor back up,” said Tall. “It was a perfect game to make sure that we had our rotations down and fully know the scout. I am really proud of how we did throughout the entire game, it was pretty solid.”
Tall went on to produce a solid performance in her return, scoring 15 points with seven rebounds and two steals.
“I had good matchups,” said Tall. “I definitely missed some I could have made but I give myself grace for coming back after a while. I am just glad I am able to get those moves that I want so this is a good game for me.”
Playing more in the paint this year for a Princeton squad that lacks height, Tall is adjusting nicely to her new role.
“I am understanding what I can do now and how I am going to find the angles that I want to get,” said Tall, a 6’1 native of Silver Spring, Md. “I am more comfortable with it now, I would say.”
With a squad that only has 11 players on the roster, the Tigers have developed a comfort level with doing whatever it takes to win.
“Everyone from one-to-11 is ready to go at all times,” said Tall. “Everyone knows it is matter of time before your number is called. You get out there, you do what you can. You do your best, you get a sub. That is for the starters as well.”
On Monday against Harvard, the Tigers showed that they were ready to fight to the end as they got a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Ashley Chea to force overtime and then pulled an 82-79 win over the Crimson. It marked the 14th straight win for the No. 20 Tigers as they improved to 16-1 overall and 4-0 Ivy League.
Coming into the clash with visiting Harvard, Tall knew it would be a battle.
“It is going to be our toughest game in a while for sure, but I think we just have to make sure that we know the scout in the little time that we do have,” said Tall, who contributed 11 points, nine rebounds, and five steals in the win over the Crimson. “We are going out there and we won’t be saying that we didn’t work hard enough. If we lose it is going to be because they made the most shots but not because they outworked us.”
Princeton head coach Carla Berube liked the toughness exhibited by Tall in her return.
“She was great, she just gives offensive output with threes, at the rim and midrange jumpers too with just smart plays,” said Berube. “Defensively she always gives us a lot in the way she can get her hands on the ball, forcing jump balls, and defending at the rim. It is nice having her back.”
The Tigers played well at the defensive end collectively in the win over Dartmouth.
“I thought we got out and defended well,” said Berube. “We got out in the passing lanes. We took them away from what they wanted to do offensively. I thought defensively for the most part we did a great job.”
With senior star Maddie St. Rose sitting out against Dartmouth to get extra rest, Chea and Skye Belker stepped up on the perimeter. Chea tallied 16 points while Belker added 14.
“We didn’t get going quite as early as we wanted in the first quarter but then they found their rhythm,” said Berube. “It was Ashley from the threes and Skye with her mid-range game is so good. When Maddie is not around, they need a little more of an offensive output.”
The Tigers got some good output from its reserves in the win.
“I thought our players off the bench like Grace O’Sullivan, Cristina Parrella, and Emily Eadie played well,” said Berube, who got three points and four rebounds from O’Sullivan with Parrella chipping in seven points and Eadie getting six points and 10 rebounds. “It was great to have that bench stepping up for us.”
In reflecting on the her team’s superb play this season after the win over Dartmouth, Berube pointed to its character and work ethic.
“They have resilience, they are gritty,” said Berube. “They come to work every single day and whoever is ready to go is ready to play. We don’t think of how many wins we have in a row. It was a great win today. Every Ivy League win is a big win.”
In the victory over Harvard, that resilience was on display as the Tigers trailed 64-61 before junior guard Chea drained her dramatic shot with 0.4 seconds left and sent Jadwin Gym into an uproar.
In a TV interview after the game, Chea noted that she believed that any of the Tigers could have come through in that spot.
“It means everything, I think that one through 11 can shoot that shot,” said Chea, who scored 19 points on the day with St. Rose chipping in 19 and Olivia Hutcherson adding 14. “It just happened to be me today. The coaches put so much confidence in me and so do my teammates. I am super, super grateful.”
In Tall’s view, Princeton has developed a knack for winning close games this season.
“We have more experience than last year, there were tight games that we were losing last year,” said Tall. “We are getting them this year now. Everyone is completely bought in. We know how good we could be now. I am really proud of us for acting like it.”