Princeton (9-11 overall, 4-3 Ivy League) hits the court with the painful memory of its close loss to the Quakers (8-13, 4-3) still fresh in its mind. The Tigers committed a large number of turnovers and allowed Penn to collect more offensive rebounds (18) than any other team this season. While their inability to stop the Quaker offense is reminiscent of last year’s Tigers — which went 3-11 in the Ancient Eight — it directly contrasts with Princeton’s success earlier this season.
The Tigers will have their first chance to get back on track Friday night at Jadwin Gymnasium when they go head-to-head against the Crimson (10-12, 2-6). After a last-minute loss to Columbia on Saturday — the Lions broke a tied game with 4.2 seconds left on the clock to win 60-59 — Harvard is eager to redeem itself by proving it can play hard throughout the entire game.
Though the Crimson will be out to redeem itself, Princeton has already shown this season that it is capable of taking down Harvard: Less than three weeks ago, the Tigers traveled to Cambridge, Mass., and narrowly defeated the Crimson, 77-71.
The win, however, was anything but a representation of the Tigers’ superior offensive skills — the game was tied eight times and saw seven lead changes. The question on every fan’s mind will be whether Princeton can beat a team it only barely managed to defeat during the peak of its seven-game winning streak.
“We had a really close game against Harvard,” junior guard Nick Lake said. “We didn’t really pull away until the last minutes of the game. They are going to want to get us back, and they have a really tough player in Crimson guard [Jeremy] Lin. We have to make sure to stop him.”
Lin will be the most difficult player the Tigers will match up against on Friday evening. The last time the two teams met, Lin scored an astounding 27 points, made six rebounds and completed four assists. Covering Lin is an obvious necessity for a Princeton victory.
Following their matchup against Harvard, the Tigers will face off against Dartmouth (6-16, 4-4). Like the Crimson, the Big Green will also enter the game with plans for redemption after its heartbreaking 79-76 double-overtime loss to Cornell. Though the Tigers held off Dartmouth for a 59-54 win in this season’s Ivy League opening game, it was another dangerously close victory.
Threatening Princeton throughout the game was Dartmouth’s nearly unstoppable forward Alex Barnett. Despite being heavily covered by the Tigers’ defense, Barnett led his team with 24 points and nine rebounds in a fight to keep the Big Green in the game. Barnett currently leads the Ivy League in scoring, and Princeton will certainly keep a close watch on him throughout the matchup.
Lake recognizes the threat that Barnett poses to the Tigers.
“They are a tough team,” Lake said. “They have been doing well all year, and they have a guy like Barnett who is going to be tough to stop.”
While Princeton is a team known more for its balance than for its individual stars, the Tigers undoubtedly have several standout players.
Princeton’s offensive frontrunner is freshman guard Doug Davis, who averages 12.1 points per game. He added 19 points to the board in the Tigers’ last game against the Crimson. But after breakout performances against Harvard and Dartmouth earlier in the season, in which he combined for 35 points, sophomore guard Dan Mavraides will almost certainly be the most feared and most guarded offensive player this weekend.
As Princeton inches closer to the end of its Ivy League season, this weekend is one of the Tigers’ last chances to prove what type of team they are. Are they capable of regaining the short-lived excellence they achieved earlier this season, or will Princeton revert back to the frail and forgettable plays of last year’s team?
Though the fate of the Tigers remains uncertain, Lake believes that his team can put forth a solid effort in this weekend’s matchups.
“We want to play well,” Lake said. “A lot of times that will mean a win, but not always. We mostly just want to feel confident about how we are playing defense and offense. That is huge.”
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