No. 6 Princeton faced a daunting task in its NIT first-round matchup at No. 3 VCU given that the Rams boasted a top-10 defense nationally.
But it was VCU’s offense that overwhelmed the Tigers Tuesday night, resulting in a 90-79 victory for the Rams at the Stuart C. Siegel Center in Richmond, Va.
VCU notched 51 second-half points and shot 58.1% from the field, heating up against a Princeton squad whose cold shooting stretches extended from its Ivy League Tournament final defeat.
Princeton shot just 2-for-12 (16.7%) from three-point distance in the first half, and a 4-for-4 long-range performance from junior guard Ryan Langborg in the second stanza wasn’t enough for the Tigers to keep up with VCU.
The Tigers never could shave the lead closer than six points in the final eight minutes.
Leading Princeton was junior forward Tosan Evbuomwan with a characteristically packed stat line: 22 points, a career-high 12 rebounds and seven assists, Langborg shot an efficient 6-for-7 from the field for 16 points, while senior guard Ethan Wright posted 18 points and seven boards.
But VCU sophomore guard Adrian “Ace” Baldwin, Jr., and senior guard KeShawn Curry each scored 23 points for the Rams, constantly frustrating the Tigers as they fought from behind.
The game marked Princeton’s first NIT appearance since 2016, when it lost in the first round at Virginia Tech.