Four Score In Double Figures As Men's Basketball Downs Columbia, 70-62

Saturday, January 20

New York, N.Y.

2:00 PM

Princeton University

15-1,3-0Ivy League

Columbia

9-7,0-3Ivy League

Princeton

Columbia

Four Score In Double Figures As Men's Basketball Downs Columbia, 70-62

January 20, 2024 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

NEW YORK – Powered by four double figure scorers, the Princeton University men's basketball team took down Columbia inside Levien Gymnasium Saturday afternoon, 70-62.

Sophomore Caden Pierce led the way with a game-high 21 points on 8-for-14 shooting from the field and 5-for-6 shooting from the free throw line along with a game-high 11 rebounds and three assists. The double-double was Pierce's fourth-straight, his eighth of the season and the 15th of his career.

Junior Blake Peters tied his season-high with 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting from three, tying his career-high in made three-pointers. In addition, Peters recorded two steals, two rebounds and one block. Sophomore Xaivian Lee finished with 14 points, six rebounds, a game-high five rebounds, a career-high three blocks and two steals, which tied his career-best. Rounding out Princeton's double-digit scorers was senior Matt Allocco who had 11 points on 4-for-7 shooting, four rebounds and four assists.

A Lee to Pierce pick-and-roll resulting in a Pierce two-handed slam followed by a Peters three-pointer saw the Tigers race out to a 7-2 advantage with 18:21 on the clock. With 14:25 left in the half, a layup by Lee led a 6-0 run that put Princeton ahead, 18-9, following a layup by freshman Dalen Davis.

18:48 1st | Princeton 4, Columbia 2@CadenPierce_3 gets upstairs and throws it down with two hands!

??: https://t.co/ii0aNMZQH3 #MakeShots ???? pic.twitter.com/JxTxnvkj1Z
— Princeton Men's Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) January 20, 2024

14:25 1st | Princeton 14, Columbia 9@CadenPierce_3 finds a cutting @xaivianlee!

??: https://t.co/ii0aNMZQH3 #MakeShots ???? pic.twitter.com/eSpA9ZNpvQ
— Princeton Men's Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) January 20, 2024

Back-to-back three-pointers by the Lions made it a 20-17 contest with 8:58 remaining in the half, but a layup by Lee then a Peters three-pointer gave Princeton a 25-17 lead at 7:35. Columbia again made it a three-point game, 27-24, with 3:34 on the clock, but the Tigers were able to hold off the Lions for the remainder of the half. Peters drilled his third three-pointer of the contest at 0:44 and Princeton went into halftime with a 37-32 advantage.

Senior Zach Martini opened the second half with a pair of free throws with 19:31 on the clock to put Princeton up, 39-32, but the Lions narrowed the deficit to two points, 42-40, with 15:56 left to play. Columbia continued to battle and would tie it up at 47-47 with 11:16 left to play.

A pull-up jumper by Allocco with 10:56 remaining ignited an 8-0 run that saw the Tiger surge ahead, 55-47, at 8:59 following a layup by Lee. Peters' fifth three-pointer, that came at 6:38, saw Princeton go up 60-51 then a pair of Pierce free throws with 5:49 left to play saw the Tigers get ahead, 62-53.

Columbia kept it close and made it a 62-58 game with 4:12 on the clock. Despite the Lions' best efforts, the Tigers were able to hold Columbia off down the stretch. Layups by Lee and Allocco along with another Pierce dunk put Princeton up 10, 70-60, with 0:08 remaining and the Tigers went to prevail, 70-62.

Up Next
The Tigers travel to Ithaca, New York, to face Cornell (12-3, 2-0) at 2 p.m. on Jan. 27 inside Newman Arena.