It is the hope that stings the worst of all.
It has been 2,558 days since Penn men’s basketball last beat Princeton. And on Friday, that streak grew one agonizing day longer as the Quakers fell to the Tigers 61-59, the latest in a long line of heartbreaking defeats.
After being fouled with 0.6 seconds left to play, Princeton guard Jackson Hicke sank two free throws to break a 59-59 tie, extending Penn’s (6-14, 2-5 Ivy) losing streak in the rivalry to 12 games — the longest in the series’ history.
“Real hard game for your guys to lose,” Penn coach Steve Donahue said. “I just wanted it bad for a group of guys that are just competing their tails off. I thought we played really hard, and at times, really well. But Princeton found a way to win.”
The Quakers were without their leading scorer for the pivotal matchup: Junior guard/forward Ethan Roberts sat out of the matchup with an upper-body injury. Without Roberts, Penn struggled to produce offense in the low-scoring affair — shooting just 36% from the field. But Penn’s defense also rose to the challenge, holding Princeton (16-6, 5-2) to 35% field goal shooting and turning the Tigers over 13 times.
The opposite was true in the early going. The Tigers — who lead the conference in three-pointers — showed off their shooting stroke early with a trio of three-pointers to fuel an 11-0 start. But the Quakers, who rank second in triples made since the start of conference play, battled back with a streak of their own — freshman guard AJ Levine and sophomore guard Sam Brown each hit threes to help Penn pull within three at 13-10.
But after their fast starts, the conference’s two best-shooting teams slowed down, grinding out a defensive battle. With both teams struggling from the field, the Tigers’ 27-15 rebounding edge helped them take a 31-24 lead into the break.
“This was the game when I was a player,” Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said of the rivalry. “I think rivalries are super important … and I thought tonight, the crowd was great and loud, and it contributed to what I thought was a very good atmosphere.”
The Quakers fought back steadily throughout the second half, and a major factor in that climb was the hands of Levine. Tasked with defending Princeton guard star Xaivian Lee for much of the game, Levine was a pest on the ball — racking up four steals and limiting the star guard to 3-of-13 shooting. After the game, Donahue praised Levine’s play, specifically noting his “competitive nature” against a player like Lee.
Then, with 10 minutes to play, Brown tied the game in highlight fashion, sending Lee flying with a spinning pump fake and connecting on the ensuing three-pointer. It was the game’s first tie since 0-0 and drew a massive cheer from the crowd at the Cathedral of College Basketball.
But from then on, the Quakers’ inexperience in clutch situations showed.
“I thought there was times that we were so anxious, that we’re making a run, the Palestra’s rocking, and our poise at that time — I thought we had open shots, and we just rushed them,” Donahue said. “Little things like that that experienced teams consistently do.”
After the teams traded runs, a second-chance layup from junior forward Johnnie Walter gave Penn its first lead of the game with 2:15 to play. Then, Brown went to the line 1-and-1, making the first and missing the second. The Tigers made him pay — guard Dalen Davis nailed a three-pointer from the left wing to give Princeton a one-point lead.
On the ensuing possession, senior forward/center Nick Spinoso was fouled on a hard drive to the rim — putting him at the charity stripe with the game on the line. Again, the Quakers left points on the board, with Spinoso going 1-of-2 to tie the game at 59.
As Lee brought the ball up the court with 19 seconds to go, the way the game would end seemed clear. Lee has repeatedly played hero at the buzzer this season — most recently lifting the Tigers over Dartmouth 81-80 with a last-second three. Princeton cleared out, Lee got low against Levine, but again, the freshman stood his ground, forcing Lee into a last-second pass. Hicke caught, pump-faked, and got Walter in the air, rising for a last-second foul — which Donahue described as a “bang-bang play.”
“I was trying to clear out and let Xaivian work out, he’s hit about four game-winners this year,” Hicke said. “And he slipped, so I was just coming to the ball. He saw me and made a great pass from the ground. And I knew there had to be at most one second on the clock, so I just pump-faked and hoped to get a foul, and I did.”
Over the course of their current 12-game losing streak, the Quakers have lost to Princeton every which way — thrillers and blowouts, shootouts and slugfests. But one thing has been painfully constant: defeat.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
Donate
