Tigers Fall in NCAA Tournament First Round to Oklahoma State

The Princeton women’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament for the third year in a row by an opponent from the Big 12 Conference, losing Saturday in the opening round to Oklahoma State, 82-65. 

The Tigers, with a 26-4 overall record and a No. 9 seed in the tournament, trailed Oklahoma State, a No. 8 seed, for the final 34 minutes of the game, though they were within five points with 8:29 remaining in the fourth quarter. 

Ultimately, the Cowgirls were too big and strong, a familiar issue for Princeton, which also lost to Iowa State last year and West Virginia in 2024. 

“There’s a toughness about the Big 12,” coach Carla Berube said at a news conference after the game. Oklahoma State “made things really difficult, especially in the first half. 

“We prepared as much as we could, but we don’t see that length and that strength and that toughness as much in the Ivy League.” 

Oklahoma State’s Achol Akot, a 6-1 junior, was a handful for the Tigers on both ends of the court. Akot, who averaged 11.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during the season, had 18 points and five rebounds in the first half and finished with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting and 10 rebounds. 

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She scored six points early in the second quarter to help the Cowgirls open a 31-13 lead, and it wasn’t until Skye Belker scored with 6:36 remaining that the Tigers ended a 14-0 run. 

“They made things really, really tough for us on both ends of the court, specifically Akot and her finishes at the rim,” Berube said. “I’m really proud of my team and the season we had. We’re not hanging our heads. We all feel a lot of pride … in winning the Ivy League, the Ivy League tournament, and in representing Princeton University.” 

Although the Tigers trailed 48-33 at halftime, they scored 11 points in a row to start the third quarter. Skye Belker ’27’s 3-pointer and Madison St. Rose ’26’s basket put Princeton within four points midway through the quarter. 

“There were times when we got some great stops, and when you do that, it always fuels our offense. That’s how we got back in the game,” Berube said. “We just had some mishaps on the defensive side down the stretch.” 

Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt emphasized that facing Princeton was a challenge and that her team had to play with a level of poise she hasn’t often seen this season. 

“I told their coach that they were the hardest team to prepare for that I’ve seen all season because they’re so well balanced and they do a heck of a job,” Hoyt said. 

She also singled out St. Rose, who finished with a team-leading 17 points. Hoyt even pulled her aside during the postgame handshake line. 

“I have so much respect for her,” she said. “She’s a player we sat around as coaches and spent the most time discussing how we were going to guard her. She’s the type of player who forces you to be at your best as a coach.” 

Saturday’s game was the last for St. Rose and Taylor Charles ’26. St. Rose, who this season became the 29th player in Princeton history to reach 1,000 career points, has another year of eligibility and will likely play as a graduate transfer at a top program. 

“I had an incredible season and an incredible journey with this program,” she said. “I found teammates and made them my family. I love these girls so much because we have so much joy in everything we do. 

“I had a support system around me at all times, and that’s what I’m really going to miss the most.” 

Belker, who had 14 points, is one of four juniors in the starting lineup who should be back next season, making the Tigers formidable once again. 

“With a lot of people coming back, we are going to use this experience, and I think losses like today are what motivate us,” she said. “I’m really excited to play again with my best friends, but I’m going to miss playing with Maddie and Taylor.”