Fresh off of a 2022 London Basketball Classic championship win against Northeastern (1–5, 0–0 Colonial Athletic), Princeton (5–2 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) pulled off yet another victory against Cairn (4–2, 0–0 Colonial States) to increase their winning streak to five games.
As opposed to their back-and-forth affair against the Huskies, this matchup was significantly less stressful for the Tigers, as they eased past the Division-III Highlanders, 92–58.
From the tip-off, Princeton brought the same energy they used to close out the championship game in London. Junior guard Matt Allocco finished off an electric fast break following senior forward Tosan Evbuomwan’s steal to open the Tigers’ account for the night. Princeton’s vitality proved to be too much for Cairn early on, as the Tigers went on a 17–0 run to start the game.
The Highlanders were no match for the Tigers on both sides of the court. On the offensive end, Princeton took care of the ball and shot extremely well, shooting 47 percent from the field and out-rebounding their opponents 54–26. The first-years seemed to be getting in their groove offensively, as three of the four highest scorers for the Tigers were from that class.
It was a breakout night for first-year guard Jack Scott, who scored a team-high 13 points and also led the team in rebounds, grabbing nine.
“He’s all over the place,” head coach Mitch Henderson ’98 told The Daily Princetonian about Scott. “He just loves to play, so he’s really fun to watch.”
In his first game where he was given double-digit minutes, Scott did not let the coach’s trust go to waste.
“I got a chance to play,” Scott said. “So, when my name is called I just try to go as hard as I can and make the most out of that opportunity.”
Although these were his first major minutes in a Princeton jersey, Scott is no stranger to Tigers basketball. His father Joe Scott ’87 played and coached basketball at Princeton.
“The adjustment [to the Princeton offense] has been really smooth,” Scott said. “It’s just passing and moving, playing as hard as you can, and cutting as hard as you can.”
On the defensive end, the Tigers did not allow the Highlanders to generate any good shooting opportunities, as they shot only 36 percent from the field. With these advantages, Princeton calmly maintained a 50-point lead throughout the second half.
Although certain players like Scott and first-year forward Caden Pierce seemed to shine, the win was nonetheless a team effort, with all 15 players who dress scoring at least two points.
“It’s a really good group,” Henderson said. “As long as we have room to improve, we have a chance to be really good.”
Princeton will play Drexel (4–4, 0–0 Colonial Athletic) on the road on Saturday, Dec. 3, as they look to extend their win streak to six games.
Daniel Asika is a contributor to the Sports section at the 'Prince.' Please direct any corrections requests to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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