Jackson Hicke Records Fourth 20-Point Game of Season Against Merrimack

Wednesday, December 10

Princeton, N.J.

5:00 PM

Princeton University

3-10,0-0Ivy League

Merrimack

6-6,2-0MAAC

Merrimack

Princeton

Jackson Hicke Records Fourth 20-Point Game of Season Against Merrimack

December 10, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Box Score

PRINCETON, N.J. – Junior Jackson Hicke of the Princeton University men's basketball team scored 20 points or more for the fourth time in the past six games against Merrimack Wednesday evening inside Jadwin Gymnasium in a close 59-56 loss to the Warriors.

Hicke scored a game-high 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting from the field, 3-for-4 from three and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. Hicke also led the game in rebounding and assists, finishing with nine and five. Freshman Sebastian Whitfield added nine points and three rebounds while sophomore Malik Abdullahi finished with eight points and went a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line while also pulling down eight rebounds.

Merrimack used a 6-0 run to take an early lead, 11-7, with 14:45 on the clock but Princeton would battle back to take the lead at 14-13 after a sophomore Jack Stanton three-pointer with 11:32 left to play. The back-and-forth nature of the game continued, as the Warriors responded by jumping out to a 24-19 advantage at 8:07. A Hicke layup would narrow the deficit to three and Merrimack took a 30-27 lead into halftime.

Princeton quickly took the lead in the second half; a Whitfield jumper followed by a Hicke three-pointer put the Tiger ahead, 36-34, with 16:49 remaining. Merrimack responded with a 9-0 run that saw the Warriors surge ahead, 43-36, with 11:43 on the clock.

There was no quit in the Tigers, as a pair of free throws by freshman Jake Sussberg led an 11-0 run that put Princeton back in front, 50-46, with 3:52 remaining. The Tigers and Warriors would trade the lead down the stretch; a pair of Abdullahi free throws saw Princeton lead 56-55 with 0:44 on the clock, but four late Merrimack free throws saw the Warriors pull away for the 59-56 victory.

Up Next
The Tigers face Temple (5-5) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Dec. 22 inside the Liacouras Center at 7 p.m.