Saturday Notebook: Princeton Grabs The Lead

The 22nd time? Same as the last 21.

Princeton used a 19-2 run around the halftime break to turn a six-point deficit into a 43-32 lead and hit its free throws in the closing moments to hang on for a 65-61 win over Harvard last night.

Ian Hummer and Kareem Maddox were too much for the Crimson to handle down low, especially after Harvard big men Keith Wright and Kyle Casey picked up their fourth fouls midway through the second half. Hummer and Maddox found themselves with matchup advantages down the stretch and exploited them en route to a 13-for-21 combined performance from the field for 31 points between them.



While Harvard shot poorly from beyond the arc, it was the turnovers (25% of possessions) that killed the Crimson. Harvard controlled them while clawing back into the game over the final nine minutes, but after forcing a turnover with its press down five with just over a minute to go, Brandyn Curry attempted to leave a drop pass on a drive for Christian Webster, but it was stolen by Princeton, icing the game.

NOTES FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE

• Columbia and Cornell joined Harvard as three road teams to hold a double-digit lead but eventually lose last night. The Lions led 28-16 in the first and the Big Red was up 65-55 with two minutes to go. Brown outscored Columbia 11-6 over the final four minutes to expand a three-point lead to a comfortable win, while Yale scored 16 points over the final two minutes to edge Cornell by one, 71-70.
• The 31-point win for Penn last night was the Quakers biggest margin of victory in an Ivy game since 2006.
• Brown freshman Sean McGonagill had the line of the night with 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting, along with six assists and four rebounds. For a player that struggled with efficiency, but never production, it was encouraging to see him take over the offense in a very effective manner.

SATURDAY STANDINGS

Princeton 3-0
Penn 3-0
Harvard 4-1
Yale 3-2
Columbia 3-2
Brown 1-4
Dartmouth 1-4
Cornell 0-5

AND NOW THE ODDS ARE...

Princeton and Harvard basically flopped spots after last night's result. The Tigers are right at 50% to win the league, while Harvard is at 41 percent. Yale and Penn round out the top four with a five percent and three percent chance, respectively.