With 15 minutes left to play at The Palestra on Feb. 9, 1999, things were looking ugly for the Orange and Black. Down 27 after Penn's Michael Jordan drained yet another three, the men's basketball team seemed doomed to endure a painful loss against perennial Ivy League rival Penn.
Forward Mason Rocca '00, who had struggled to find his game the entire night, started what would be one of the greatest college comebacks of all time. His three-pointer, the first of his 13 second half points, began a 23-2 Princeton run. When it was all over, the Tigers left town with a 50-49 victory over the stunned Quakers.
A miracle, they call it now — "The Miracle at The Palestra."
"I will never forget the contrast in the fans between the first half and second," Rocca recalls six years later. "In the first half, it seemed like all of Philly was crammed into the Palestra going against us. By the end of the game it seemed as if the three hundred Princeton fans were the only people in the gym."
Unbelievable competitor
While that night may have been the most memorable of Rocca's career, his enduring legacy as a player did not rely on the heroics of one game. Instead, he is remembered by coaches, teammates and fans as among the most unceasingly dedicated and aggressive players in Tiger history.
"He was an extremely tough kid, very physical, an unbelievable competitor who went after the ball in a manner that was probably the most aggressive and physical we've ever had here in Princeton," said head coach Joe Scott '87, who was an assistant during Rocca's Princeton career.
"He went after the ball with two hands. He had so much hustle — he went after every single ball and tried to get every single ball," Scott said.
Due in large part to that hardnosed style of play, Rocca found himself plagued by injuries throughout his college career. They hit worst in his senior year. Unsure if he'd ever be able to play basketball competitively again, Rocca searched for a job, eventually deciding on Globix, an internet services firm, but it wasn't time for the electrical engineering major to become an engineer quite yet.
"I waited as long as possible before finally turning it down in September when it appeared as if basketball might be a possibility," Rocca said.
Drafted by an IBL team, the Trenton Stars, Rocca again concentrated on playing ball. He would have made a lot more money with Globix, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck that basketball called him back for another chance.
"Globix ended up going bankrupt two years later during the dot-com crash, so I think I made the right choice," Rocca said.
The last man to make the roster, Rocca worked his way up with his usual tenacity. A good season with the Stars landed Rocca a spot on the roster of an Italian League pro team in Jesi. As a result of the same traits that made him successful at Princeton, Rocca has been there ever since.
Black and blue all over
Rocca's current success, however, is even more impressive when his setbacks are considered. His injuries — two sprained ankles, a broken wrist and ankle surgery his senior year — kept him off the court far more than he would have liked during his time playing for the Orange and Black. Add in the challenging course load of an engineer, and Rocca's time at Princeton was anything but easy.
"I struggled a lot my freshman year," Rocca said. "I was staying up late trying to keep up with my studies, and as a result I kind of burned myself out."
Perhaps, though, that's what made the triumphs so much sweeter. Rocca notes that the "Miracle at The Palestra was "definitely tops" as far as his court memories go.
Off the court, Rocca easily recalls his favorite memory of Princeton: Dean's Date celebrations. But in the next breath, he tells a story of academic success.
"One particularly great memory as a student was when my lab partner and I were able to get our car to navigate the black tape course for ELE 302," Rocca said. "We put in a lot of long nights to get that to work."
Still, it's the basketball that holds the most prominent spot in his memory. More than any other, that night at the Palestra comes in handy when verbally sparring with current teammate Jerome Allen, a 1995 Penn graduate.
"It helps to have that as ammo against Jerome Allen, who I have to listen to every day in practice tell me how he used to own Princeton," Rocca said.
Indeed, Rocca will always have The Miracle as a reminder of why all the injuries and floor burns were worthwhile.
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