LAST DANCE: Princeton University women’s basketball player Madison St. Rose, right, dribbles upcourt in recent action as Taylor Charles follows her. Last Saturday, senior guard St. Rose scored a team-high 17 points in what turned out to be her last game for the Tigers as ninth-seeded Princeton fell 82-68 to eighth-seeded Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA tournament at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. The Tigers finished the season with a 26-4 record. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)

By Justin Feil

The Princeton University women’s basketball team ran out of runs in a season-ending 82-68 loss to Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA tournament last Saturday at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion.

The Tigers jumped out to a 6-2 lead, but five straight points gave Oklahoma State the lead midway through the first quarter and Princeton would never lead again. The Ivy League Tournament champions ended their season with a 26-4 record. The loss to Oklahoma State was just their second non-conference defeat of the season in addition to an 84-68 loss to Maryland on November 16.

“I’m really, really proud of my team and the season we had,” said Princeton head coach Carla Berube. “We’re not hanging our heads. I think we all feel a lot of pride in the season and winning the Ivy League and Ivy League Tournament and representing the Ivy League and our university really, really well.”

Senior star guard Madison St. Rose led the Tigers with 17 points in her final game for Princeton. St. Rose, who will graduate from Princeton this spring, still has a year of NCAA eligibility which she will use elsewhere as the Ivy League does not permit graduate students to play.

“I had an incredible season and incredible journey with this program,” said St. Rose. “I found teammates and made them my family. Just outside of basketball, I love these girls so much because we have so much joy in everything we do, and we are so passionate about basketball in general. So when we get out on the court, we all have the same goal. That’s what I love about playing with someone that has the same values as me.”

Junior guards Ashley Chea and Skye Belker tallied 14 points apiece, and their classmate, Olivia Hutcherson, scored 10 points to give Princeton four players in double figures scoring. They’ll form the core of a team that is expected to return all but St. Rose and senior forward Taylor Charles, who went 2-for-2 from the floor for five points and had a pair of blocks in the loss.

“I’m just so grateful to be around them,” said St. Rose. “Skye especially, she’s been such a great leader. She’s always encouraged me when I was doubting myself, and coach at the same time, she was encouraging me as well. I had a great supporting system around me, and that’s what I’m going to miss together, the togetherness and closeness that I love so much.”

Oklahoma State used some runs to establish big leads, but the Tigers did not go away after trailing, 48-33, at halftime. St. Rose’s shot capped an 11-0 Princeton run to cut their deficit to 48-44 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

“This day didn’t go well for us, but we fought,” said Berube. “We got back into the game when it looked like it was bleak and that just shows the heart and the grit and the toughness that the women that wear this orange and black.”

Princeton was in striking range again early in the fourth quarter, but a five-point deficit after a 3-pointer by Belker and layup by St. Rose stretched to 14. The 9-0 run by the Cowgirls was fueled by three Princeton turnovers to seal the Tigers’ fate.

“Biggest thing in the third quarter is we were able to knock down our shots and then get a stop on the other end and use that to fuel our offense, which we have been doing all season in every comeback that we’ve had,” said St. Rose. “I think in the fourth quarter, it ended up being more trading baskets, and by the end, a couple turnovers that led to them pulling away.”

Princeton had trouble stopping Achol Akot all game. The 6’1 forward finished with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Micah Gray and Haleigh Timmer were the only other players to score in double figures.

“They were really tough,” said Berube. “They made things really, really hard for us on both ends of the floor, specifically Akot and her finishes at the rim. And I thought her guards around her really set her up well.”

Oklahoma State continually relied on setting ball screens to free up their scoring options. Princeton was challenged all night to guard their bread and butter with the Cowgirls trying to rely on their strength inside.

“That is the bulk of their offense is ball screens, and they are really, really good at it,” said Berube. “We struggled. We’re undersized. We know it. That’s who we have been all year. That, and I think Akot got on the boards a bit, too. I think they capitalized on their offensive boards really well. So we struggled in the paint for sure, but I think we still showed a lot of heart. I think their inside presence was just a bit too much.”

It was their first time playing Oklahoma State, but third year in a row in which a Big 12 team has eliminated them, following West Virginia in 2024 and Iowa State last year. As tough as the Tigers have always prided themselves on being, the Cowgirls proved just as tough. It made the challenge that much tougher once Oklahoma State got ahead big.

“I think we prepared as much as we could,” said Berube. “But you don’t see that length and that strength and that toughness as much in the Ivy League. That’s why we play the non-conference schedule that we have, but maybe we should get some Big 12 opponents on our non-conference schedule. That’s bad scheduling. It’s a different brand of basketball. They were gritty. They were tough. They were great. A lot of credit to the Cowgirls.”

Princeton has a lot of positives to build on for next year. They’ll graduate the two seniors, but return four starters and have another strong freshman class coming in. The Tigers are relying on the same closeness that was such a key this year to stick with them after the season-ending loss.

“I think this next group is going to be just as good,” said Berube. “I think Maddie and Taylor left an awesome legacy of what the standard is for Princeton basketball and looking forward to coaching this group and like they said, they just love the game of basketball and they love playing it together. And I think you can see it on the court, win or lose. They always stay really connected and supportive of each other.”

The Tigers connections are what made this season so successful. They stuck together through the ups and downs of the year. It’s also what made the ending so difficult.

“We got some really great stops, and when you do that, it always fuels our offense and I think that’s how we got back in the game,” said Berube. “And then just had some mishaps on the defensive side. I am proud of them, the way they are connected. I told them in the locker room, I loved coaching this season. I mean, I loved all my seasons but the way they were connected and just loved each other and loved playing together, it was such a joy to coach them.”