It’s time to hit the panic button in Old Nassau.
“We have a problem on our team,” head coach Mitch Henderson ’98 told The Daily Princetonian after the home setback against Yale on Jan. 31.
Since then, the problem has only worsened, along with the Tigers’ chances of securing a fourth consecutive Ivy League regular season title.
The offensive struggles of Princeton (16–8 overall, 5–4 Ivy League) were on display once again this weekend after getting blown out by Brown (12–10, 4–5) and Yale (16–6, 9–0).
The last time the Tigers lost back-to-back league games on the same weekend? Six years ago, on Feb. 9, 2019, also to Yale and Brown.
A season low in Providence
After defeating the Bears 69–49 just two weeks prior, the Tigers scored a season-low 56 points Friday night en route to a 70–56 loss.
Brown gained momentum quickly, opening on a 10–2 run to start the half. The teams traded baskets thereafter, but Princeton was unable to cut Brown’s lead and continued to trail.
Seven minutes into the game, junior forward Caden Pierce hit a three to join the 1,000-point club. Pierce becomes the 39th Tiger to achieve this milestone, reaching it just a week after his teammate, junior guard Xaivian Lee.
Down 14–6, the Tigers began a swift run to put them within two points, initiated by first-year guard Jack Stanton’s three-pointer. Stanton has shot 46 percent from beyond the arc in his debut season.
Leading 18–16, the Bears regained momentum and capitalized on Princeton’s scoring slump, forcing an 0–6 field goal drought while scoring 15 unanswered points to extend their lead to 33–16.
Brown continued to push through the Tiger defense by drawing fouls and forcing turnovers. In the first half, the Bears scored 11 points off of Princeton turnovers and eight from fast breaks. A pair of free throws from Pierce and a layup from sophomore guard Dalen Davis capped the Tigers’ scoring for the half, down 38–20 going into the break.
Entering the second half, scoring continued on both ends, with Princeton’s offense led by Davis. After going scoreless in Princeton’s last matchup against Brown on Feb. 1, Davis ended the day with a team-high 15 points.
“I was injured, and the last time we played Brown was the first time I wasn’t starting,” Davis told the ‘Prince.’ “I had to make an adjustment to how I approach the game and seeing what the team needs, that’s been key for me.”
Two pairs of free throws and a deep three from the Bears extended their lead, despite Davis’ help and an added three from Lee. A triple from Brown guard Kino Lilly Jr. helped extend the Bears’ lead to 23, putting them ahead 51–28 just six minutes into the second half.
The Tigers continued to battle, going on an 8–0 run over the next six minutes, courtesy of baskets from sophomore guard Jackson Hicke, Lee, and Pierce. Princeton dominated in the paint and converted off of several second-chance shots, securing 13 offensive rebounds.
Princeton narrowed the gap to just nine points in their comeback attempt, but Brown sealed the victory by capitalizing on Princeton’s foul trouble and extending their lead from the free-throw line late in the game. With a final score of 70–56, the Tigers fell to Brown ahead of their Saturday matchup against Yale.
“It’s a clean slate for our next game,” Davis told the ‘Prince.’ “We’ve got six more games and Yale is one of them, we gotta go out and do whatever is possible to build momentum for Ivies.”
Title hopes fade in blowout loss to Yale
Any hopes of a resurgence, however, were thrashed on Saturday night as Princeton fell to Yale, 84–57. The Bulldogs have now won 13 of their last 16 against Henderson and the Tigers.
A triple from senior guard Blake Peters put the Tigers up 8–3, who came out with more energy and discipline than they had shown for most of the season.
Lee executed two early backdoor cuts, already surpassing his previous point total (two) from the last meeting between the two teams. Meanwhile, Yale’s star guard John Poulakidas struggled early, missing his first five field goal attempts.
With 10 minutes remaining in the first half, Yale took its first lead of the game, going up 13–12. The Tigers never led again as Yale’s swarming defense held Princeton scoreless for over five minutes.
After both sides exchanged buckets, Yale forward Nick Townsend hit consecutive triples to make it 30–18. At the half, the Tigers trailed 32–20. It was clear that Princeton was working much harder for every open look and bucket. In the first half, the Tigers shot 22.2 percent — 3–16 from beyond the arc and 6–27 overall.
In the second half, a triple from Lee cut the lead to 11. Lee was the only bright spot for the Tigers, scoring 19 points on a night where no other player surpassed seven points.
Despite Lee’s effort, Yale took its largest lead of the game when it went up 40–26. As Princeton tried to mount a comeback in the beginning of the second half, a controversial call derailed their momentum.
A free throw from Yale center Samson Aletan seemed to be a clear airball. However, the refs did not see and allowed Townsend to grab the ball and lay it in. Henderson, gesturing furiously on the sidelines, was lucky to avoid a technical foul. Following the controversy, Yale quickly extended their advantage, going up 46–28.
The Orange and Black struggled like never before, managing just 31 points in 31 minutes of game time. A triple from Poulakidas put the Bulldogs up by 28 with just under eight minutes remaining. Poulakidas is the clear frontrunner for Ivy League Player of the Year, sitting 11th in the country in threes made per game.
Henderson cleared his bench as Yale held on for an 84–57 win. The 27-point deficit was Yale’s largest margin of victory in series history. The Bulldogs’ 9–0 start in league play is the best start in program history.
Reigning Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce finished with just two points. Pierce is averaging 7.6 points per game in the Tigers’ last five contests.
Princeton is now tied for third place in the Ivy League standings with only one game separating them and fifth-placed Brown. Only the top four teams punch their ticket to Ivy Madness and get a chance to go dancing in the NCAA tournament in March.
The Tigers will get a chance to right the ship at home next weekend when they play the Big Green (12–10, 6–3) and the Crimson (9–13, 4–5).
Hayk Yengibaryan is an associate News editor, senior Sports writer, and Education Director for the ‘Prince.’
Lily Pampolina is an associate Sports editor and a staff Audience creator for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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