PRINCETON — Tabitha Amanze caught the ball at the free throw line against a zone defense, faced up and realized her defender was giving her that shot. Swish. On the next possession, she got post position on the low block, spun over her right shoulder and scooped in a left-handed layup. Two more points. This is the Amanze the Princeton University women’s basketball team has been waiting for. “You can see the last two years, and she got a little bit of time last year, that she’s been chomping and getting herself prepared physically, mentally to be a huge contributor on the court this year,” coach Carla Berube said. “It’s so fun watching her play because she’s a dominant force inside on both ends.” Amanze scored a career-best 14 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the Tigers’ 66-54 victory over Rhode Island on Wednesday night at Jadwin Gymnasium. While the win snapped a two-game skid, it also served as another reminder of why Amanze, a 6-foot-4 junior forward from Nigeria, created such a buzz when she committed to Old Nassau after a standout high school career at Blair Academy that had her ranked as a top-50 recruit by ESPNW. “This is the (Tabitha) we’ve known all along and now she’s finally healthy and feeling good,” Berube said. “She’s ready to contribute and is doing it in a great way.” Amanze missed her freshman season with an injury and then played sparingly as a sophomore. She appeared in 15 games, and while occasionally flashing glimpses of that talent, was still yet to make a significant on-court impact. That’s all changing now. “There was a lot of anticipation,” Amanze said. “Just trying to keep my hopes up, my spirits alive. I knew it was going to happen, but just coming into practice every day, working hard and hoping for the best.” She credits her teammates for keeping those spirits up. “Everyone is in such a good mood, everyone is so positive,” Amanze said. “It’s just easier when you have the best people around you to work with every day.” It’s all paying off on the court now. Amanze recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Temple. Her 14 points in Wednesday night’s victory came in an efficient 14 minutes off the bench and served as a nice bounce back performance after she didn’t play well in a loss at Utah. “(My teammates) kept looking for me,” Amanze said. “Again, it’s just my teammates. They know when I’m in the right position, they know how to feed me, but I have the best teammates. Praise to them.” But she’s also worked hard to put herself in this position. Her low post game is much-improved and she has the green light to shoot that mid-range free throw line jumper. “Finding my position and holding it, knowing when to release, when to stay in the paint, when to move, when to flash for people,” Amanze described when asked how she’s improved. “I think that comes with a little bit of sitting and watching my freshman year when not being on the court but being able to learn from the seniors. My inside the game and also facing up from the mid-range.” Princeton (6-4) is going to need her as Ivy League play draws near. The Tigers are coping with a season-ending injury to leading scorer Madison St. Rose — they’ve done pretty well so far with a 4-2 mark since she went out — but know the top of the league is tough this season. Harvard, Columbia and Penn are a combined 23-8 so far and all have a NET Rank of 110 or better (Princeton is at 48). “It’s been very hard as one would imagine. She was playing some of the best basketball,” said Amanze, who knows from experience what St. Rose is going through. “It’s been very hard, but, again, people are stepping up. Everyone has been stepping up. We are trying our best to make up for that, but it’s not the same without her out there.” It’s also nice to be back in the friendly confines of Jadwin, which are a welcome respite for a road-weary group that has played just two home games. The Tigers finish non-conference play with home contests against Vermont (Dec. 21), Middle Tennessee State (Dec. 29) and Le Moyne (Dec. 31). But, first, they break for exams. Which seem just a bit easier to take when you win. “Everyone is happy,” Amanze said. “Everyone is in a good mood.”