Following a disappointing performance at the Myrtle Beach Invitational, the Tigers (6–3 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) are searching for their rhythm. While they notched a win against Division III side Nazareth University (2–3, 0–0 Empire 8) in their most recent outing, the game did not make up for the struggles that surfaced across the tournament.
Now, the Tigers face a tougher challenge on the road against Saint Joseph’s (5–2, 0–0 Atlantic 10) in a pivotal non-conference matchup.
Last season, the Tigers were 9–0 when they took on the Hawks in Philadelphia. With a rowdy crowd at Hagan Arena, St Joe’s came away with a narrow 74–70 win, snapping Princeton’s win streak.
This season, the Tigers have more problems to address ahead of the matchup after losing captains Matt Allocco ’24 and Zach Martini ’24 to graduation. The Orange and Black have been unpredictable, flashing moments of promise while grappling with persistent challenges.
The Hawks come into the matchup looking like one of the most dangerous mid-major teams in the country. St Joe’s has beat both Villanova and Texas Tech to start the year and have multiple players with pro potential on their team.
The Tigers will enter the contest as 5.5 point underdogs on all major United States sportsbooks.
Staff Sports Writer Lily Pampolina ’27, Staff Sports Writer JP Ohl ’26, Sports Contributor Zachary Meisel ’27, and Sports Contributor Ryan Kirby ’27 made their predictions for the game.
Princeton 80, Saint Joseph’s 75 — Lily Pampolina, Staff Sports Writer
Princeton has a tough set of December games and Saint Joseph’s will be no exception.
The Hawks have won four of their last five games, including a beatdown against Ivy League rival Penn. Against the Quakers, Saint Joseph’s scored 24 points off turnovers and went on several impressive runs, shutting Penn out of the game. The Hawks did the same against top-25 ranked Texas Tech, boasting three double-digit point scorers.
Saint Joseph’s have strong offensive weapons that will keep Princeton defense on their toes. Senior guard Blake Peters will be key in forcing turnovers and converting momentum back in Princeton’s favor. From the bench, first-year guard Jack Stanton recorded five steals against Portland last week and could prove an asset for the Tigers.
Princeton will have to rely on their experience in close games to work past the Hawks tomorrow. Junior guard Caden Pierce is used to playing long minutes, or even full games, and being a driving force on both sides of the ball. Against Saint Joseph’s, this leadership will be key to staying disciplined and resilient against a familiar and experienced opponent.
The Tigers have all of the tools to push past the Hawks, but they will need to play all forty minutes with intensity. With a win tomorrow, they set themselves up on a good pace for the rest of the month.
Saint Joseph’s 84, Princeton 75 — JP Ohl, Staff Sports Writer
The St. Joe’s offense is outstanding, leading to wins in recent competition against Villanova and Texas Tech, both Power 5 programs. Princeton will have to go into an unforgiving St. Joe’s arena. Princeton can undoubtedly win this game, but Princeton cannot lull at any point.
The Hawks’ fast-paced transition-based offense will seize any sign of weakness or carelessness. Princeton needs to protect the ball, limit turnovers, and make safe passes. I am not convinced that this Princeton team has figured out who they are and where they fit in. The Princeton basketball puzzle has yet to fall into place, given they are not afforded the opportunity to practice and train year-round.
A breakout from Lee or Pierce will not be enough to secure a road win against the Hawks. A team effort and pivotal contributions from emerging role players and new members are imperative. If Princeton wins, it will be a team effort through and through.
Ultimately, the Tigers need to be challenged and battle-tested if they hope to clinch a Ivy Madness Championship and automatic March Madness bid at the end of the season.
What can the Tigers learn tomorrow to propel and assist them to success later in the season? Sometimes it takes losses to catalyze the best in a team.
Saint Joseph’s 82, Princeton 70 — Zachary Meisel, Sports Contributor
Traveling to St. Joseph’s marks Princeton’s toughest challenge yet this season. The Hawks have already defeated major programs like Texas Tech (6-1) and Villanova (4-4). The Tigers have been a little bit disappointing to begin the campaign, but this game presents an incredible opportunity to right the ship and avenge the 74-70 loss that ended their undefeated start to last season.
The key for Princeton is defense, which the Tigers have struggled mightily with to begin the year. They allow 71.9 points per game and have failed to stop the most athletic teams on their schedule from scoring. The Hawks feature several talented scorers, with guard duo Xzayvier Brown and Erik Reynolds II being two especially challenging opponents. It’s going to be exceedingly difficult for Princeton’s guards to defend the pair, and I suspect we will see coach Mitch Henderson utilize a zone scheme at times to help out his team.
Ultimately, I believe that the Hawks will present the Tigers with a challenge too difficult to surmount. While the Tigers still have significant potential this season, their defensive travails will prove to be overwhelming when faced with the athletic superiority of St. Joseph‘s.
Princeton 85, Saint Joseph’s 80 — Ryan Kirby, Staff Sports Writer
The Tigers enter Tuesday’s matchup on a two-game winning streak, fueled in part by the emergence of first-year standout C.J. Happy. After scoring one total point in his first four outings, Happy has exploded for 35 points in his last two games. He’s lighting it up from behind the arc, canning 50 percent of his triples in that span.
Efficiency might be the name of the game against Saint Joseph’s, as the Tigers lead in shooting percentage from three (38.9 percent–34.4 percent) and the field (46 percent–43.3 percent). Five Princeton players are shooting over 40 percent from three with more than one attempt per game. If they can stay hot, it will open up driving lanes for players like Pierce and Lee.
In what looks like a defensive battle and turns into a shootout by the end, the Tigers, led by great shooting and a dominant performance from Pierce, will take a close win.
Lily Pampolina is a staff Sports writer and staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
JP Ohl is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Zachary Meisel is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Ryan Kirby is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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