Correction appended
What could have been a season of redemption for the men’s basketball team turned into one of disappointment.
Heading into the weekend with a shot at its first Ivy League title since 2004, Princeton (12-14 overall, 7-6 Ivy League) lost twice on the road to Columbia and Cornell. With the 2008-09 campaign almost over, the Tigers will look to their season-ending game against Penn.
Princeton’s 58-44 loss to Columbia (12-16, 7-7) on Friday night sealed the fate of the 2009 Ivy League Championship. The Lions’ victory ensured that Cornell (21-9, 11-3) would take the league title for the second consecutive year and will represent the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament.
“We just didn’t play very well on the road,” senior guard and co-captain Jason Briggs said. “Teams in the NCAA are winning 30 percent of the time on the road or something like that. We just didn’t play up to our potential.”
Plagued by fouls and turnovers, Princeton never found a rhythm on the offensive end. A lackluster shooting night from the three-point range only added to the Tigers’ woes as Princeton converted only six of 21 from deep.
Despite leading by four at the break, the Tigers were not able to sustain their lead down the stretch as Columbia found its offensive rhythm. The Lions shot 50 percent from the field in the second half, including four three-pointers, to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 10-point lead in less than seven minutes. The Lions’ strong 10-of-12 performance from the free-throw stripe down the stretch prevented Princeton from climbing back into the contest. Freshman guard Doug Davis led the Tigers in scoring for the 10th time this season, with 10 points in the losing effort.
Though Cornell earned the Ivy title on Friday after beating Penn, the Newman Arena was still packed on Saturday. Cornell fans attended their team’s final home game of the season to celebrate senior night, and the seniors carried the Big Red to a 60-51 victory over the Tigers.
“It means a lot to play [Cornell], especially for the guys coming back next year. We have a lot of guys coming back, and they do, too, so it really sets the tone for next year,” Briggs said. “And obviously we’re trying to win games and trying to get better, so it wasn’t a throwaway game.”
Led by four starting seniors, Cornell came out firing on all cylinders, climbing to an early 14-7 lead and never looking back. With the win over the Tigers, Cornell extended its home winning streak to 21 games.
Princeton’s stingy defense, which had propelled the team to a seven-game winning streak earlier in the season, was nowhere to be found Saturday night. The Big Red shot 51 percent from the field, capping the year’s first three-game set in which Princeton’s opponents have shot above 45 percent from the field.
The disappearance of the stifling defense that had revitalized the hopes of the Tiger faithful was not offset on the offensive end. Davis led Princeton in scoring for the second consecutive night, scoring 16 points. Freshman forward Patrick Saunders had a career night, posting 13 points on four-of-eight shooting and grabbing a team-high seven rebounds.
As a team, however, Princeton shot just 35 percent from the field and 27 percent from beyond the three-point arc, failing to convert on 19 three-pointers over 40 minutes.
Cornell had four players in double-digits and dominated the paint against a comparatively smaller Princeton squad. Seven-foot-tall center Jeff Foote and company pounded Princeton for 30 points in the paint compared to the Tigers’ 12.
The win did not come easily for the Big Red. After leading 26-17 at halftime, Cornell quickly extended its lead to 15 three minutes into the second period. The Tigers, however, would not go quietly. Three-point baskets by Saunders, Davis and sophomore guard Dan Mavraides kept the Tigers in striking distance. Unfortunately for Princeton, the baskets came too few and too late.
Princeton’s final game of the season will come against Penn (10-17, 6-7) on Tuesday night. The Tigers will be looking to finish with a winning record in the Ivy League for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
Correction
An earlier version of this article gave incorrect records for the men's basketball teams from Princeton, Columbia and Penn. Moreover, that earlier version of the article and its headline said that Princeton's season had ended, when in fact it had not.
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