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Princeton University Athletics
Men's Basketball Closes Out Regular Season With Trip to Penn
March 08, 2004 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2004
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If it's Princeton against Penn in men's basketball, it always matters.
Of course, the Tigers are happy that Tuesday's game against the Quakers at The Palestra (7 p.m., CN8, GoPrincetonTigers.com) doesn't matter as much as it might have. Princeton made sure of that by winning at Harvard and Dartmouth this past weekend, clinching the outright Ivy League title and the league's automatic NCAA tournament berth. Princeton will make its 23rd NCAA tournament appearance no matter what the outcome of Tuesday's game.
Still, the 210th meeting of the bitter rivals isn't without some intrigue. Princeton's only Ivy League loss so far came to the Quakers, 67-52 at Jadwin Gym Feb. 10, and the Tigers certainly want to change their luck against a Penn team to which they have lost five straight games. With a win, the Tigers can finish 13-1 in league play for the sixth time and get a 20th win for the 17th time in school history.
Both teams are playing well at the moment--the Quakers have won five straight games by an average of 16 points per game, and the Tigers' eight-game winning streak is the team's longest since a 10-game streak in 1998-99.
Either Princeton or Penn has represented the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament in each of the last 16 seasons. Princeton has nine appearances in that time, while Penn has made seven.
NOTE OF THE DAY
Best vs. the Best -- Neither Princeton nor Penn has ever won the Ivy League championship in a season in which it has not won at least one game against the other team. EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT
Not the Clincher -- Tuesday's game marks the first time since the 1997-98 season that Princeton plays Penn to end the regular season with the Tigers already having clinched the outright Ivy title and an NCAA berth.
Lucky 13? -- A Princeton win Tuesday would give the Tigers at least 13 league wins for the 11th time in 48 years of formal Ivy League play. Princeton has finished a perfect 14-0 in league play five times.
Rising to the Top -- Either Princeton (nine times) or Penn (seven times) has represented the Ivy League in the NCAA tournament in each of the last 16 seasons.
More from the Postseason -- Princeton has now reached the postseason eight times in the last nine years. The Tigers made the NCAA field in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2001 and the NIT field in 1999, 2000 and 2002.
Undefeated & Untied -- Princeton finished 12-0 this season against the other six Ivy League teams besides Penn, allowing their opponents just 54 points per game and holding opponents to just 37% shooting.
Double Vision -- Eight of the last 11 games between Princeton and Penn have been decided by double digits, including the last four games at The Palestra.
Eight Was Enough -- Princeton has won a season-high eight straight games. The winning streak is the program's longest since a 10-game streak during the 1998-99 season.
Last Call Tuesday's -- Princeton-Penn game at The Palestra is the last game of the 2003-04 NCAA basketball regular season.