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:
There’s no quit in this Tigers team.
The Tigers faced adversity all day against Furman and trailed by nine with less than three minutes to play. But despite an epically bad shooting performance (4-for-31 from three-point range), the Tigers fought back late in the contest for the second game in a row and pulled off an improbable comeback. The Tigers prevailed by forcing turnovers – 20 in total – including steals down the stretch after coach Mitch Henderson installed a full-court press late in the game.
By gutting out yet another close win, this team proved that it won’t give up under any circumstances and will be a very tough out for any opponent, Ivy or otherwise.
Matt Allocco is a one tough hombre.
Furman came to Jadwin and punched Princeton in the nose. Literally.
With just under 18 minutes to go in the second half, junior guard JP Pegues drove the lane on Matt Allocco and elbowed him in the face as he completed a layup. The blow bloodied Allocco’s nose and resulted in a flagrant-one foul. But it also woke up a sleeping Tiger.
Allocco, who nearly single-handedly willed Princeton to a comeback victory on Wednesday night at Bucknell, rallied his teammates once again with nine second-half points, including the game-winning three with only four ticks left on the clock. It was Allocco’s first made trey of the night, after Princeton had missed 27 of 30 previous tries.
Mitch Madness is marching toward more history.
. @DerekJones79 with today’s giveaway pic.twitter.com/whViatGAPa
— Kyle Franko (@kj_franko) December 2, 2023
Former Princeton standout Noah Savage sported a new T-shirt at the game as he provided color commentary for the ESPN+ broadcast. The T-shirt featured a caricature of Mitch Henderson with the caption, “Mitch Madness.” It was a fitting statement given how magical Princeton’s run of success has been under Henderson, now in his 13th year at the helm of the men’s basketball team.
As every follower of Ivy hoops knows, Henderson played a central role in making Princeton basketball history as a player, when the Tigers upset UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and then again in the 1997-98 season when the Tigers finished the regular season 25-2 and garnered a No. 8 ranking in the final AP Top 25 poll.
Now Henderson is making history again, this time as a coach. Last season, he became the first coach to lead a Princeton team to the Sweet 16 since the NCAA Tournament adopted a 64-team format. With Princeton’s 8-0 start to the 2023-24 season, Henderson has guided the Tigers to the longest winning streak to open a season since the 1966-67 Tigers squad, which also won its first eight games en route to a 25-win season, an Ivy League championship, a No. 3 national ranking, and a Sports Illustrated cover featuring Princeton players Gary Walters and Chris Thomforde.
Mitch Henderson’s squad may find themselves with a national ranking come late Monday morning for the first time in 25 years. And if the Tigers can manage a ninth straight win over Drexel on Tuesday night at Jadwin, they would tie the 1914-15 and 1919-20 Tigers teams for the longest winning streak to begin a season in the illustrious history of Princeton men’s basketball.