Tigers Clinch Ivy League Tournament Berth with OT Win at Dartmouth

Friday, March 1

Hanover, N.H.

7:00 PM

Princeton University

16-8, 8-3Ivy

Dartmouth

11-16, 2-9Ivy

OT 1

Princeton

Dartmouth

Ryan Schwieger had a career-high 26 points in the win.

Photo by: Bryan LaFountaine

Tigers Clinch Ivy League Tournament Berth with OT Win at Dartmouth

March 01, 2019 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

It may have taken a little longer than the Princeton men's basketball team would have liked Friday night, but the Tigers left Hanover with a win and another big performance from sophomore Ryan Schwieger in a 77-76 overtime victory at Dartmouth.

With the win, Princeton improved to 8-3 in the Ivy and clinched a bid in the Ivy League Tournament in two weeks at Yale.

"It feels great, but I'm not going to get too high on it," Princeton assistant coach Jonathan Jones said. "It's March 1. March Madness is here."

THE TIGERS ARE IN.@Princeton_Hoops is a lock for #IvyMadness in New Haven. Tiger fans, ticket information available below. ????

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— The Ivy League (@IvyLeague) March 2, 2019

Schwieger, whose career scoring high at Princeton entering last weekend was 15 points, posted his third consecutive 20-point game, going 11 for 11 from the line on the way to 26 points, bettering the 23 points he put up a week ago against Cornell.

Myles Stephens, with 19 points, and Jaelin Llewellyn, with 17, joined Schwieger in double figures. Chris Knight's 22 points led four Big Green players with 10-plus.

Princeton trailed 26-19 at the half but used a 13-3 run out of the locker room to pull ahead at 32-29 three minutes into the half.

The Tigers were up eight at 60-52 with 82 seconds to go in regulation, but the Big Green closed the second half on an 8-0 run capped by a James Foye 3-pointer in the final seconds to knot it at 60-60. After Schwieger hit a pair of free throws to give Princeton that 60-52 lead, Brendan Barry came down and drilled a 3-pointer for the Big Green, and Dartmouth benefited from a Tiger turnover and a missed 3-pointer to help tie it up.

Princeton got out to a strong start in the OT on an 8-0 run over two minutes, and though Dartmouth chipped away at that, the Big Green were never able to close the gap in the extra five minutes despite making the Tigers sweat it out.

Llewellyn had the first five points of the OT for Princeton.

"He has that second gear where he can just kind of turn it around," Jones said. "It was good to see him come out and just play with that kind of confidence. That's what he's capable of and I'm glad that he showed that here tonight."

The Tigers will head to Harvard for a 7 p.m. tip in a battle of teams tied for second in the Ivy at 8-3, one game back of Yale for first.

"It should be a good one. Luckily, we have a great athletic trainer, Regan Jones," Jonathan Jones said. "Everybody will get their rest and we'll be ready to go tomorrow."

Postgame Notes

• Princeton now leads the all-time series with Dartmouth 154-63 and has won 14 of 16 against the Big Green under Mitch Henderson.

• Princeton has shot better than 40 percent from the field in each of the last five games.

• Rookie Jaelin Llewellyn's 17 points were his most since his career-high 22 against Iona on Dec. 15, 2018, and tied for the second-most of his Tiger career.

• Senior Myles Stephens' 19 points were his most since scoring 19 against George Washington on Dec. 1.

• Sophomore Ryan Schwieger has averaged 23 points a game over the last three games.

• Schwieger's 11-for-11 day at the line marked the most free throws made without a miss for a Tiger in a game since Noah Savage '08 went 11 for 11 against Harvard on Feb. 22, 2008.

• Stephens' 19 points moved him past Gabe Lewullis '99 and into 12th place on Princeton's all-time scoring list with 1,287 career points. Bud Haabestad '55 is the only Tiger between Stephens and 1,300, at 1,292. Geoff Petrie '70 is 10th at 1,321.

• Stephens is 14 field goals away from becoming the ninth player in program history with at least 500 career field goals.