Crimson game-winner ends postseason dreams
On Friday night, Princeton (9–19 overall, 5–8 Ivy League) geared up for what would be a critical matchup in deciding a potential berth to Ivy Madness and even the NCAA Tournament. Needing a win and having fallen to Harvard (16–11 overall, 9–4 Ivy League) in heartbreaking fashion nearly two months ago, the Tigers had everything on the cards for a big win to propel them towards a strong end to the season. However, the Orange and Black fell victim to a familiar trend they’ve struggled with this season: giving up leads. And, with a game-winning basket from the Crimson just three seconds before the final buzzer sounded, Princeton’s postseason hopes faded away.
The Tigers got off to a quick 8–0 start at Jadwin Gymnasium, feeding the building with energy early on in the game. A pair of threes from junior guards Jackson Hicke and Dalen Davis set the tone, echoing Princeton’s first-half success in January’s matchup between the two teams. That same formula carried through the remainder of the first half.
Princeton maintained a balanced attack, with several other players entering the scorer’s sheet. The Tigers gained big contributions from sophomore guard Peyton Seals, first-year guard Landon Clark, and first-year forward Sebastian Whitfield. Although the Crimson found success on the offensive glass and capitalized on second-chance opportunities, it was Princeton’s balanced scoring attack that fueled its continued surge throughout the first half.
Although the Tigers had more turnovers than the Crimson, Princeton led 33–21 at halftime thanks to an enormous disparity in field goal percentage. The Orange and Black shot a whopping 70 percent from the field in the opening frame compared to Harvard’s 26 percent, in large part due to Princeton’s ability to score inside, only attempting two three-pointers in the first half.
As the second half began, it was more of the same for the Tigers. Princeton went on a 5–0 spurt in the opening minutes to stretch its lead to 38–21. However, from then on, it would be all Harvard. By the twelve-minute mark, the Crimson had chipped away at their deficit, forcing three turnovers from Princeton in under a minute to make it 45–33 Tigers.
“Credit to Harvard. Their pressure wore us down. Fifteen turnovers. Some really bad ones down in the stretch. It’s a hard one for us,” Princeton Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 told The Daily Princetonian.
And, after more back-and-forth action, Harvard cemented a 12–0 run with about five minutes to go, giving them their first lead of the contest at 50–47.
However, the Tigers weren’t done yet. Davis scored on a driving layup to get Harvard’s lead down to one, and Hicke nailed a three-pointer to put the home team back on top, 54–52, with under three minutes to go. After a pair of Harvard free throws got the game back even, the Crimson drilled a tough turnaround shot with just 46 seconds to go to regain a 56–54 advantage.
With postseason hopes on the line, Princeton’s most reliable late-game player showed up. Dalen Davis made a difficult, mid-range jumper to once again tie the contest, this time at 56–56.
And, with Jadwin on its feet, Harvard’s Robert Hinton beat his defender off the dribble and found the bottom of the net with just three seconds to go. Up 58–56, Harvard shunned Princeton’s last gasp effort and left New Jersey victorious.
“It was a lack of discipline from us … There’s a lot of plays we could’ve made … There’s so many ways we could’ve won the game today,” Hicke said after the game.
It was another tough, blown-lead for a Tigers team that is sure to gain experience from the close games they’ve battled out this season. With the loss, Princeton’s hopes for Ivy Madness were gone as they looked ahead to a bout against Dartmouth.
Tigers close home slate with dominant win
In its final home game of the 2025–26 season, the Tigers took on Dartmouth (11–15 overall, 5–8 Ivy League) and put on a show for the Princeton faithful in attendance at Jadwin Gym.
“We wanted to put on a show for the fans, and I think we accomplished that,” said junior forward Jacob Huggins post-game, who had a double-double in points and rebounds.
“We have a better understanding of what it’s going to take [to win] going forward,” Seals added post-game.
Dartmouth started fast, going up 7–1 quickly, but Davis would get the Tiger offense in gear, nailing a 23-foot three-pointer. That’s when things started flowing for Princeton. Seals hit a three-pointer that would tie the game at nine, and this sparked a 13–0 run that allowed the Tigers to pull ahead 22–11 just after the halfway mark in the first.
With five minutes left in the half, the Tigers would go on another 10-point run that took them to a 19-point lead with just over three minutes remaining.
After the first half, Princeton picked up where it left off with an 8–0 run fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Clark and two Huggins free throws, all in the first two minutes of the second half. Hicke hit a three-pointer and a layup on the following possessions to put the Tigers up 56–33 with 15:27 to go.
The Big Green tried to rally late in the second half, but it was too little too late. Princeton dominated Dartmouth, taking the victory 82–61.
“I can’t remember when we won last, so, nice to get that. They played well,” Henderson said post-game. “We’ve improved over the course of the season, and they’ve done that work … I hope that a game like tonight shows [the team] what it’s going to take.”
The stars showed out on their home court, with Davis scoring 20 and Hicke tying his season best with 22. Princeton shot 61 percent from three-point range Saturday, a season best.
The Tigers will now turn their attention to next week as they close out their regular season against Yale (22–5 overall, 10–3 Ivy League) in New Haven, Conn.
Lucas Nor is an associate Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Zeke Arnold is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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