Men's Basketball: Tigers topple Harvard, complete perfect weekend

And then the Crimson came to Jadwin.

“[Princeton has] been really good in the last couple years we played them, and they played exceptionally well tonight,” Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker said.

And the men’s basketball team did deliver exceptional play on Saturday, defeating the No. 25 Crimson 70-62, a day after a 59-47 victory over Dartmouth. Princeton (13-10 overall, 4-3 Ivy League) in beating Harvard (21-3, 7-1) toppled a ranked team for the first time since 1997 and did so at home for the first time since 1977. As students stormed the court following the win, the Tigers extended their streak of 23 straight years of beating the Crimson at home, in a nationally televised game on ESPNU.

“To replay what we did last year in the playoff game [the 63-62 buzzer-beater victory over Harvard to reach the NCAA Tournament] and to be at home at the same time was huge for us,” junior forward Ian Hummer said. “We love when people come to our games. I mean, every time we seem to have a packed house we’ve played really well, so hopefully we can keep that going.”

Harvard entered the second frame sporting a 27-22 lead, which the Crimson built after taking control of the closing minutes of the first half. Princeton set the tone early, however, when the Tigers came down with an offensive rebound and Hummer shot-putted a short floater, cutting the lead to three. On the next play, Crimson forward Kyle Casey drove to the basket unopposed off the inbound and finished with a dunk but was called for a technical foul. This sequence set the tone for the opening minutes of the half, as Harvard could not put Princeton away, never extending the lead beyond six.

“We were fortunate to get it even right away, because they can pull away from you pretty easily,” head coach Mitch Henderson ’98 said.

However, about four minutes in, the Tigers’ outside shooting came alive, in contrast to their poor three-point percentage in the first half. Sophomore guard T.J. Bray and junior forward Mack Darrow both drilled shots from long range as the Tigers took advantage of inside-out play to slowly narrow the lead. A minute later, Darrow tied the game 33-33, posting up with a hookshot.

Crimson guard Brandyn Curry hit a tough three from 25 feet on the other end, momentarily silencing the spectators, but Hummer responded with an old-fashioned three-point play, driving to the basket, finishing and drawing the foul. He made his free throw, and the score was 36-36.

Harvard again extended its lead to four points with strong post moves from Casey, but Princeton found its way back again when junior center Brendan Connolly posted up reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Keith Wright, hitting a soft layup with just under nine minutes to go, tying the score at 42-42.

“It presented a really nice matchup for us with Keith Wright,” Henderson said on his decision to start Connolly. “I thought Brendan established a little bit of a swagger for us early.”

A minute later, senior forward Patrick Saunders hit a jumper, and the Tigers took their first lead since early in the first period, 46-44. Princeton did not let up, going on a decisive 11-2 run that brought the game to the two-minute mark. Bray was especially effective, slashing to the basket on several plays.

“Harvard likes to get up in the passing lanes, and that’s really when our backdoor offense is huge for us,” Bray said.

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With Princeton leading by 10 points, 59-49, Harvard began to foul, but the Tigers, known for some free throw struggles this season, calmly iced the game at the charity stripe, going 9-for-12 at the line in the last two minutes. Hummer was the standout performer with 20 points and nine rebounds, one of five Tigers in double figures.

“That’s Princeton basketball,” Henderson said. “We just keep talking about sharing the ball and making each other better.”

Princeton opened the game with a strong showing defensively, as the Tigers’ help defense initially limited Wright’s effectiveness. Senior guard Doug Davis, despite having a poor shooting night, was impressive in his defense of Curry, especially guarding the pick-and-roll.

“On defense, that’s where everything starts,” Bray said. “If we get stops, everything is just so much more wide open.”

The Tigers built an early lead, but the Crimson fought back to tie the game after a three from Harvard guard Corbin Miller, whose shooting was key for the visitors in the opening frame. Wright heated up in the last few minutes of the half, proving himself to be a powerful force in the paint and sparking an 11-6 Crimson run that sent Harvard into the break ahead by five points.

The previous night, Princeton took care of business against a visiting Dartmouth team (4-20, 0-8) that is winless in the league and has won only four games this season. The Big Green did not roll over, however, opening the game with an 11-1 run. The Tigers regrouped, clawing their way back, and only trailed by two going into the half at 25-23. Princeton took charged ahead in the second half, outscoring Dartmouth 36-22. Davis led the Tigers in scoring with 20 points, including five three-pointers, on the way to the 59-47 win.

After this weekend, Princeton is in a position to make a mark in the Ivy League. The Crimson lead the Ancient Eight, at 7-1, and Penn and Yale stand one game in front of the Tigers with two league losses each. If Princeton is to overcome its early struggles in the league, it will need to follow up its two emphatic wins with strong performances next weekend when Columbia and Cornell come to visit Jadwin.

“In terms of league play, we’ve got work to do, and we need help,” Henderson said. “I want to build on what happened tonight and take it into next weekend.”