When two teams play and one team has three players who would be stars on the other team, the former team normally wins. Form held true in Trenton Monday night as Princeton men’s basketball defeated Rutgers, 68-61, in Princeton’s first meeting with the Scarlet Knights since 2013 in what was called the “Jersey Jam.”
Those three players? Matt Allocco, Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee. All three Tigers would start for Rutgers and probably five or six other Big Ten teams.
All three starred in the NCAA Tournament last season, and they did not turn their motors off over the summer. If anything, Lee is vastly improved with international experience after being selected to be on the Canadian U19 Men’s National Team for the FIBA U19 Men’s Basketball World Cup 2023.
Allocco posted 21 points on 9-for-13 shooting and nine rebounds, earning him Jersey Jam MVP honors. Pierce snared a staggering 15 rebounds. Lee controlled the game at the point and registered 16 points.
Princeton (1-0) raced out to a 14-4 lead before Rutgers (0-1) went on a 22-8 run to lead 26-22. Princeton closed on a run to take a 32-28 lead at the half.
The second half was knotted at 45 when the Tigers went on an 8-0 run to seize control.
Princeton started Allocco, Lee, Zach Martini, Blake Peters and Pierce. With those five in the game, Princeton enjoyed a 46-24 advantage.
“I’m just so appreciative that Rutgers would play us,”. Princeton coach Mitch Henderson said, per a report from Jerry Carino for the Asbury Park Press. “And it is good for the game, especially in this state.”
Henderson moves to 3-1 all-time against Rutgers.
Rutgers very much missed last season’s leading scorer Cam Spencer (13.2 points per game), who entered the portal and now starts at UConn. The Scarlet Knights were led by Clifford Omoruyi with 12 points and seven rebounds.
Princeton outrebounded Rutgers, 39-35, and were 9-for-20 from three-point range.
A crowd of 6,103 attended the game, and if there were 300 Princeton fans there, it would be a surprise. It was poor scheduling by the Tigers, as the women’s team had a home game at Jadwin against Duquesne. The women notched a 65-57 win, powered by a 26-point, four-steal clinic from sophomore Madison St. Rose.
The Tigers on Friday are at Hofstra, a team that defeated them 83-77 at Jadwin Gym last season.
Good article