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Princeton University Athletics
It Was 20 Years Ago Today ...
March 17, 2009 | Men's Basketball
It was 20 years ago today that the Princeton men's basketball team dropped a heartbreaking 50-49 decision to Georgetown in the opening round of the NCAA tournament. TigerBlog looks back at the event and measures its historical significance.
The booklet spent about 15 years sitting in a converted refrigerator that now serves as a storage container. For the last five years, it made its way to a file cabinet. Every now and then it saw the light of day and retold its story, its amazing story, its story that continues to make you smile and shake your head and say "what if ..."
The title is "40 Minutes In March," and those 40 minutes were held 20 years ago today, March 17, 1989. It was on that night, at the Providence Civic Center, that 16th-seeded Princeton took on mighty No. 1-seeded Georgetown in what was supposed to be the last appearance ever by an Ivy League school ? or school from any similar league ? in the NCAA tournament.
Instead, Princeton pushed the Hoyas to limit, falling 50-49 only when Alonzo Mourning blocked shots by Bob Scrabis and Kit Mueller in the final six seconds. Were either one or both fouled?
"I'll take that up with God when I get there," Princeton coach Pete Carril said.
For the complete story, go to TigerBlog at www.goprincetontigers.blogspot.com.