TALL ORDER: Princeton University women’s basketball player Fadima Tall dribbles upcourt in recent action. Last Saturday, junior star Tall scored a game-high 20 points and added seven rebounds and four steals as top-seeded Princeton defeated third-seeded Harvard 63-53 in the Ivy Tournament final at Cornell. The Tigers, who improved to 26-3 with the win, secured the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Princeton earned a No. 9 seed and will face 8th-seeded Oklahoma State on Saturday in the UCLA quad at Los Angeles, Calif. in the first round of the NCAA tourney. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Justin Feil

The Princeton University women’s basketball team was likely headed to the NCAA tournament based on another outstanding regular season.

The No. 23 Tigers made sure of it by winning the Ivy League Tournament, 63-53, over Harvard at Cornell on Saturday to secure the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA tourney.

“Just absolutely thrilled to represent Princeton University and the Ivy League and just so proud of my team, my coaching staff, the team for this championship,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube. “It was a hard-fought battle. We knew it. We knew what Harvard is made of. And it was, it was that. It was a battle.”

The Tigers improved to 26-3 overall and make their seventh straight NCAA tournament on a seven-game winning streak. Princeton earned a No. 9 seed and will face 8th-seeded Oklahoma State on Saturday in the UCLA quad at the Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif., in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

“It’s definitely not done yet,” said Ivy tournament Most Outstanding Player (MOP) junior star Fadima Tall, who scored a game-high 20 points in the final. “We have some more games next week, ready to flip the page, have some recovery this week and then get back at it.”

Oklahoma State, 23-9 overall, finished fourth in the Big 12. The winner of the Oklahoma State/Princeton clash faces the winner of No. 1 seed UCLA and No. 16 Cal Baptist on Monday. It’s the sixth Ivy tournament title in the last seven years for Princeton and follows last year’s Ivy tournament semifinal loss, which came at the hands of Harvard.

Princeton, which earned this year’s top seed in the Ivy tourney with a 12-2 league record, defeated fourth-seeded Brown, 65-51, in the semifinal on Friday behind 18 points from Madison St. Rose, 12 points from Ashley Chea, and 11 points apiece from Tall and Skye Belker. The win set the Tigers up to take on Harvard, who went on to win last year’s Ivy tournament after topping Princeton.

“You remember those games that happened,” said Tall. “You remember when you’re at this spot, you think about, what you did wrong last year? How can you do better this year? Harvard just happened to be there. But still amazing team. We threw so much at them. They were still scoring.”

Princeton jumped out to an early lead and was up, 33-24, at halftime. But third-seeded Harvard tightened things up in the second half. After the Crimson tied it, 51-51, Princeton closed the game on a 12-2 run with Olivia Hutcherson scoring the first six points in the run, all from the post area.

“When we came out of the timeout, we just said, we need to go on a run,” said Hutcherson. “We were tied and we knew that we needed to get stops. We needed to get scores. Both teams, of course, were super tired. They had a super long game last night. We had a tough game (Friday) as well. But for me, I was just trying to run up the floor. My teammates were finding me open and I was finishing. Coach always gets on me about the little bunnies and the layups, so I’m glad I was able to knock them down today and just help the team out and get the win also.”

Princeton’s defense made a difference down the stretch. The Tigers held Harvard without a basket for the final four minutes of the game, enabling Princeton to regain the Ivy Tournament crown.

“They took something from us last year,” said Hutcherson. “And so we all just really came to play, and I think we did a great job as a team.”

Tall was named MOP after not just scoring, but helping lead the defensive effort as she made four steals and grabbed seven rebounds against Harvard. She’s the third Princeton player to earn the Ivy tournament honor, following two-time winner Bella Alarie and three-time honoree Kaitlyn Chen. It’s quite an ending to a season that began with her almost resistant to being moved to the center position.

“It took me a while to realize the potential I could have at this spot,” said Tall, who is averaging 13.2 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds a game. “But going into the season, through the ups and downs, the injuries, the good games, the bad games, it’s like it’s been a team effort and a lot of mental toughness to be able to figure out where I’m valuable. And, those two names, huge shoes to fill. I’m honored to be a part of that legacy, but it would not be possible at all if I didn’t have my teammates trusting me.”

Princeton has felt confident all along in Tall. The Tigers knew they had to get her in the lineup, and she has lived up to their expectations.

“The things that she can do on both sides of the basketball, we’re very lucky to have her on our team, and we had to figure out how to make that work,” said Berube. “And we say the 5 (center), but what does that even mean? Just you’re defending maybe the tallest player on the other team, but is she sitting on the block for 40 minutes? No, she’s spreading the floor. She can hit 3s. She can go by you, but also can play on the inside.”

Tall, ironically, is on the shorter side for a center at 6’1” and that mirrors in many ways the Tigers. They are not a tall team, but they compensate by playing hard and sticking together. That’s been important in a season that included a pair of Ivy losses and some significant bumps and bruises along the way that left the Tigers with only 10 healthy players.

“They’re just kind of warriors,” said Berube. “We’ve had some ups and downs this year. I know our record looks pretty good, but there’s been some ups and downs and some injuries and we just have fought through. And I think the togetherness of this squad, that means the world. When you’re so connected off the court, you see it on the court.”

The Ivy tournament was further proof of their togetherness. It made a difference when Harvard rallied and there was no panic in the team as they closed out the game. Princeton turned to its veterans and they delivered to make sure that the season will continue together.

“It shows in big moments, when the lights are brightest, that they’re going to just make plays for each other,” said Berube. “They are resilient, they’re tough, and they love this game. They love playing this game. But the most important part is that they love playing together and for each other.”

The Tigers were recognized for their talents with all five starters earning All-Ivy League honors last week. St. Rose was named first team, her second All-Ivy accolade after missing most of last season. Belker and Tall were named as second-team selections. Hutcherson and Chea received honorable mention.

The Tigers are counting on their talent and tight bond when they return to the court in the NCAA tournament. They are looking for their first win in the first round since they defeated N.C. State, a No. 7 seed, in the first round in 2023. Princeton is banking on the improvements they’ve made through the season to show in another big spot against Oklahoma State.

“I think that things are clicking defensively, which it took a while for us to get going throughout the season,” said Berube. “And I think a part of that is they’re healthy, knock on wood, and feeling good and confident. And sometimes that just can take a little bit of time. And so I think over this weekend, I think we’re playing some of our best basketball. So I hope we can keep moving forward and represent the Ivy League on the national stage.”