Thoughts on Princeton men’s basketball’s comeback victory over Furman

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The Princeton men’s basketball team continued its magical opening to the 2023-24 season as the Tigers rallied for the second game in a row to overcome a talented Furman team, 70-69, in a Saturday matinee matchup at Jadwin Gymnasium.  It was the first matchup ever between the two programs, both of which enjoyed Cinderella runs in last season’s NCAA Tournament.

The Tigers trailed for most of the game and appeared headed for defeat when junior guard Blake Peters missed an open three with 2:43 to go in the game and Furman leading by nine, 67-58.  The miss from distance punctuated Princeton’s and Peters’ futility to that point, as the Tigers had shot a woeful 2-for-27 from beyond the arc.  Yet somehow, the Tigers managed to claw their way back in the final minutes to win the game, and extend their unbeaten streak to eight.

Three reactions to Princeton’s astonishing comeback victory:

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Yale men’s basketball suffers stunning 66-65 loss at Vermont

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Yale men’s basketball snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in stunning fashion at Vermont Saturday night, suffering a 66-65 loss after having led 65-62 with six-tenths of a second left to play.

Then madness ensued.

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Quakeaways from Penn men’s basketball’s 93-92 loss to La Salle

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For 45 minutes on Saturday, Penn played gorgeous and free-flowing basketball against La Salle.

Penn’s reward for its efforts? A spot on the wrong end of a SportsCenter Top 10 moment.

The Explorers’ Khalil Brantley banked in a three-pointer from nearly halfcourt as the overtime buzzer sounded, sending Penn to a brutal 93-92 loss in the third-place game of the Big 5 Classic at the Wells Fargo Center.

Clark Slajchert hit what should have been a game-winning layup with four seconds left in overtime, which counted as the final two points of his 33-point scoring effort, tying a career high. Penn (5-4, 1-2 Big 5) defended La Salle’s desperation scramble well, with George Smith getting an outstretched arm right in Brantley’s face.

Fate had other plans for Penn.

Zooming out, Quakers fans learned plenty about their team on Saturday. Such as how…

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LISTEN: Princeton men’s basketball claws to 8-0 with furious 70-69 comeback win over Furman

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Princeton men’s basketball shook off an 11-point deficit with under four minutes to play to notch an unforgettable win over Furman at Jadwin Gym Saturday and improve to 8-0 on the season. Listen to Princeton coach Mitch Henderson, senior guard Matt Allocco and sophomore forward Caden Pierce reflect on the comeback win at their postgame press conference:

 

Listen to Ivy Hoops Online contributor George Clark break down the improbable victory:

LISTEN: Takeaways from Princeton men’s basketball outlasting Bucknell, 85-71, to improve to 7-0

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Ivy Hoops Online contributor George “Toothless Tiger” Clark recaps Princeton men’s basketball’s 85-71 over Bucknell at Sojka Pavilion in Lewisburg, Pa. Wednesday night:

Yale men’s basketball bounces back with 79-71 win over Stony Brook

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It was the Nick Townsend show at John J. Lee Amphitheater Wednesday night, as the sophomore forward posted a career-high 22 points and 15 rebounds to lead Yale men’s basketball to a 79-71 win over Stony Brook (2-4), in a rare out-of-conference home game.

Yale (5-3) trailed 29-28 with less than five minutes to play in the first half but were kept in the game up to that point in part by a burst of offense from junior guard Bez Mbeng (10 points) before charging ahead to grab a 41-35 halftime lead. Yale was outrebounded 18-17 at the half after being decimated on the boards in a loss at Rhode Island Sunday.

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Princeton women’s basketball survives Seton Hall, 75-71, in double-overtime thriller

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Playing their first game since garnering a top-25 ranking in the Associated Press poll, Princeton women’s basketball gutted its way to a win over Seton Hall, 75-71, in double overtime at Jadwin Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

The Tigers were led by senior co-captain Kaitlyn Chen, who tallied 21 hard-earned points on 4-for-11 shooting.  However, the real hero for the Tigers was freshman sensation Skye Belker who scored 18 points and sank the game-winning jumper with 37 seconds to go in the second overtime.  The native of Los Angeles was named the Player of the Game by the ESPN+ broadcast crew, which included former Tigers star player Julia Cunningham. Making her broadcasting debut, Cunningham did a remarkably good job of not betraying her pro-Princeton sympathies while providing interesting insights into what it’s like to play for Princeton coach Carla Berube.

In a battle for New Jersey supremacy, it was unclear whether this contest was a basketball game or a turnover festival. Perhaps it was the approach of the holiday season that inspired both teams to combine for 52 giveaways.  Seton Hall was the more generous squad, turning the ball over 28 times compared with Princeton’s 24.

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Penn women’s basketball dominates paint to beat La Salle, 79-71

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It makes sense that on the night of Floor Toonders’ return from the injury that kept her off the court for the season’s first six games, her Penn Quakers would control the inside.
But the 6-foot-4 senior forward came in for just four minutes and made no plays; it was her shorter teammates who made their inches and aggressiveness count in beating La Salle Wednesday at the Palestra, 79-71.

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Yale men’s basketball fades in second half in 76-72 loss at Rhode Island

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 Yale men’s basketball held a 12-point halftime lead at Rhode Island after having led by as many as 18 points in the first half.

And then Yale’s wheels fell off.

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