NCAA Tournament Preview: TV Info, Team Stats and Projected Lineups for the Cowgirls’ Round 1 Matchup vs. Princeton

The Cowgirls landed in the 8 spot and will face a tough 9 seed in Princeton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This will be the first meeting between the Cowgirls and Tigers.

This makes for the third time in four seasons that Jacie Hoyt has led her team into Tournament field. Now the Cowgirls will try to take the next step and pick their first W in the Tournament.

If the Cowgirls can finally get over the Round 1 hump under Hoyt, they’ll likely face top-seeded UCLA, a team that hasn’t lost since before Thanksgiving. But they can’t look down the road just yet. The Tigers are a tough, well-rounded squad that’s also not used to losing.

Princeton is riding a seven-game win streak into the Dance, having gone 12-2 for its seventh Ivy League championship in the last eight years. Five Tigers are averaging double-digit scoring, and all five of those starters earned All-Ivy League honors with leading scorer Madison St. Rose earning a spot on the first team.

Both rosters are experienced in March with the Cowgirls playing in the last two NCAAs and benefiting from the addition of Haliegh Timmer, whose South Dakota State team bounced OSU in the first round last year.

Princeton head coach Carla Berube has led her team to the dance each of the last five seasons, only missing it in her first year in 2019-20 when the Tournament wasn’t held due to COVID. The Tigers were 26-1 that season.

The Tigers also have lot of recent history playing teams that are currently in the Big 12 in March.

Princeton fell to Iowa State 68-63 in the play-in game of last year’s NCAA and suffered similar fate in 2024, falling to West Virginia 63-53 in the 8-9 game in the first round. Back in 2023, when St. Rose was a freshman, the Tigers upset NC State in a 7-10 matchup before falling to 2 seed Utah.

Here’s what you need to know before the Cowgirls and Tigers square off.

Viewing Info

Time: 6:30 p.m. Saturday
Location: Los Angeles, Calif.
Watch: ESPN 2

Team Stats

Last Game Starters