On Saturday, men’s basketball (7–13 overall, 3–2 Ivy League) defeated Brown (7–11, 1–4) at Jadwin Gymnasium with a final scoreline of 63–53. Close and physical throughout, the game ultimately finished in Princeton’s favor thanks to strong late-game performance and perfect free-throw shooting.
With close consecutive losses against Harvard (10–9, 3–2) and Dartmouth (9–9, 3–2) last weekend, the Tigers were looking for a change of events.
“The road trip was really long and rough,” Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 told The Daily Princetonian after the game. “We had some tough losses, but I’m proud of our guys for getting it done this time.”
Both sides started the game slowly, trading misses and fouls. Junior guard Dalen Davis finally nudged the Tigers forward to tie the score in the sixth minute, drilling his 100th career three-point shot.
That spark was the beginning of an 8–0 Princeton run. After some back-and-forth, the Bears went six straight to move ahead 19–16 with under ten minutes of play in the half.
The Orange and Black’s best first-half spell came late. Junior guard Jackson Hicke buried a wing three, and Davis kept getting in downhill, drawing several trips to the free throw line.
Still, the Bears managed to keep up, slipping in a layup right at the end of the half. The teams headed to the locker room even at 27–27.
“Brown’s definitely got some strong guards and bigs,” Hicke told the ‘Prince’ after the match. “We definitely made it a priority in practice to focus on guarding them and making them take tough twos.”
The Bears came out of the break strong, threatening the Tigers immediately with a 5–0 push. Fortunately for the Tigers, Davis and Hicke kept the ball moving and steadied the Orange and Black into an even 32–32.
The game turned at 41–41. A technical foul on Brown gave Princeton two free throws, followed by two consecutive threes from the Tigers on their next two possessions, completing a 10–0 run that brought the score to 49–41.
“I’ve been through situations like that my whole life,” Davis said to the ‘Prince.’ “I get more excited when there’s more pressure. Those situations are what we practice for.”
From there, the Tigers managed a strong finish, controlling the tempo and maintaining a steady lead. The Bears cut the margin once, but the clock kept ticking down and the Orange and Black’s line stayed perfect.
The numbers mattered. Princeton shot 17–for–56 and went 7–for–23 in three-point shots, but went a perfect 22–for–22 at the free throw line. Davis led with 22 points, and Hicke posted his first career double-double, with 19 points and 13 boards.
“We focused a lot on fast breaks and situations in practice,” Hicke noted. “I think that’s really been helping us a lot, and it was much better today than it was last weekend.”
The first-year players made notable contributions, too. First-year guard Landon Clark added five points to Princeton’s scoreline. First-year forward Sebastian Whitfield helped with several great baseline drives kicked to the corner for Clark.
“I like the way they’ve been playing,” Henderson said to the ‘Prince.’ “With first-years, anytime we can get them better, it helps us in the long run. They have very bright futures.”
Davis, coming off the bench for the fifth straight game after an early-season injury, said he doesn’t mind the role.
“I’m just focused on winning the league and making March Madness,” he said. “Whatever the guys or Coach needs me to do, I’m ready to do it.”
The main theme throughout the game was composure. Princeton committed only seven turnovers and capitalized on Brown’s mistakes. When the Bears tried to muddy the lane, the Tigers kicked for rhythm threes.
“It wasn’t pretty, but it was our best win of the season,” Henderson said. “Those last eight minutes were very important for us.”
The win moves the Tigers above .500 in the league and gives them back-to-back games without a missed free throw, having gone 33–for–33 against Brown and Dartmouth.
The Orange and Black’s next game is away against Cornell on Friday. They will look to keep the free-throw line perfect and bring the same late-game clarity.
Kai Kim is an assistant Sports editor for the ‘Prince’.
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Read More
Princeton University Library to unveil two exhibitions in spring honoring nation’s 250th anniversary
Sena ChangIn honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Princeton University Library (PUL) will open two American Revolution-themed exhibitions in the spring, the Library announced this week.
In honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, Princeton University Library (PUL) will open two American Revolution-themed exhibitions in the spring, the Library announced this week.
NJ Transit to suspend service, University to close Sunday to non-essential personnel
Luke Grippo and Nico David-FoxNJ Transit announced a temporary shutdown of most services Saturday afternoon, and the University announced that it will close to non-essential personnel on Sunday in response to forecasts of heavy snow and hazardous travel conditions throughout Sunday.
NJ Transit announced a temporary shutdown of most services Saturday afternoon, and the University announced that it will close to non-essential personnel on Sunday in response to forecasts of heavy snow and hazardous travel conditions throughout Sunday.
Men’s basketball drops another close game at Dartmouth 71–69, falling to 2–2 in Ivy League play
Zeke ArnoldMen’s basketball loses second straight game after failing to stop a Dartmouth comeback. Jackson Hicke remains a bright spot, scoring 28 points.
Men’s basketball loses second straight game after failing to stop a Dartmouth comeback. Jackson Hicke remains a bright spot, scoring 28 points.