The Ivy League’s top team will be on the road when the Princeton Tigers (20-6) head to Edward Leede Arena to face the Dartmouth Big Green (10-17). Action begins at 7:00 pm ET on Saturday, Mar. 5.
The Big Green enter this game hoping for similar success after topping Penn 72-64 on Friday. Evan Boudreaux played a pivotal role, recording his 10th double-double of the season with 26 points and 13 rebounds. The Tigers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their close 73-71 loss against Harvard on Friday. Steven Cook had a team-high 16 points.
Expect this one to be a clinic on boxing out, as two of the nation’s top rebounding teams face off. Dartmouth is among the nation’s best on the offensive glass, ranking 22nd in OR% at 33.6%. Meanwhile, Princeton ranks 10th in the nation at corralling defensive boards with a DR% of 75.0%. Also, the Tigers commit the ninth-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 16.0%), while the disruptive defense of the Big Green causes the 11th-most (opponents’ TO% of 21.2%).
This is the second game of the season between these two teams, with the Tigers winning the first matchup 83-70. Cook had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 27 points, one rebound, five assists, and four three-pointers.
The Big Green come into this game 10-17 Straight Up (SU) and 8-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Big Green have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 79.9 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 71.4 points per game.
Over on the other bench, the Tigers have 20-6 SU and 8-9-1 ATS records. Offensively, they average 79.1 points per game, which is good for 39th in the country. The Tigers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 43rd in Division I at 1.34. The Tigers average 68.0 points allowed per game, but have damaged those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 73.9 points per game during that span. The Princeton defense has been a problem for competitors, allowing only 5.0 field goals from three-point range per game.
The Tigers’ win over Dartmouth in their last clash bumped their SU record over their most recent meetings to 9-1. The teams are even ATS, with a 5-5 record. During their latest five matchups, neither team ever held the advantage in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prince, ATS Winner – Prince
Notes
Dartmouth averages 71.4 points per game, placing the team just 172nd in the nation. Princeton ranks 73rd in points allowed, giving up 68.0 points per game.
Dartmouth scores just 75.0 points per home game (ranked 152nd). Princeton ranks 61st in points allowed on the road, giving up 70.4 points.
In its last game, Princeton lost by a margin of two points. Dartmouth is 0-2 in games decided by a margin of three points or less. Princeton has a 2-1 record in close games.
The Princeton Tigers rank 33rd for their offensive rating of 114.1. The Dartmouth Big Green have a defensive rating of 102.9 (ranked 54th).
Princeton has an average field goal percentage of 46.6%. Dartmouth is an underachieving 1-10 when opponents have a similar or higher field goal percentage.
The Dartmouth Big Green rank higher based on their field goal percentage (206th) than their effective field goal percentage (253rd). The Princeton Tigers rank higher based on their effective field goal percentage (25th) than their field goal percentage (50th).
Princeton ranks 81st in assists, recording 14.9 per game. Dartmouth performs worse at 185th with 13.3 assists per game.
Dartmouth ranks 87th in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Princeton ranks 50th.
Though Dartmouth is one of the best in the country in forcing turnovers with opponents averaging a TO% of 21.2% (ranked 11th), Princeton is undefeated (1-0) when its TO% is 21.2% or greater.
