The Ivy League’s top two teams will lock horns when the Princeton Tigers (21-6) welcome the Penn Quakers (11-16) to L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium. Action begins at 8:00 pm ET on Tuesday, Mar. 8.
The Tigers enter this game hoping for similar success after dismantling Dartmouth 84-65 on Saturday. Steven Cook was the game’s leading scorer with 27 points on 9-for-13 shooting. The Quakers, meanwhile, are feeling some disappointment after their demoralizing 74-56 loss against Harvard on Saturday. Matt Howard had a team-high 14 points.
Over the last five games, Cook has taken his game to another level for the Tigers, averaging 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.8 blocks, and 3.2 three-pointers.
The ineffective offense of the Quakers (287th in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 99.6) will attempt to infiltrate the elite defense of the Tigers (12th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 97.7). The matchup on that end of the floor seems to lean toward Princeton.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Tigers winning the first matchup 73-71. Amir Bell had a standout performance in the victory, putting up 28 points, two rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block, and four three-pointers.
The Tigers come into this game 21-6 Straight Up (SU) and 9-9-1 Against The Spread (ATS). The Tigers have no trouble scoring as they rank 35th in the nation in offense with 79.3 points per game. Princeton is one of the most disciplined teams in the nation with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.34. Princeton’s three-point defense can be considered one of the best in the nation, allowing just 5.0 three-pointers per game.
Over on the other bench, the Quakers have 11-16 SU and 9-10-1 ATS records. Offensively, the Quakers have really picked up the pace in the last 10 games. They have exceeded their season average of 68.2 points per game by averaging 80.8 during that stretch.
The Tigers’ win over Penn in their last game bumped their SU record to 8-2 over Penn in their most recent meetings. On the other hand, Penn holds the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4. In these last five matchups, each team was able to hold the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers once.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prince, ATS Winner – Prince
Notes
Princeton averages 79.3 points per game (ranked 35th). Penn, on the other hand, allows 71.9 points per game (ranked 149th).
Princeton is one of the top-scoring teams at home, averaging 84.7 points per game (ranked 15th). Penn, on the other hand, allows 75.5 points per away game (ranked 163rd).
Princeton won its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Penn is 1-7. Princeton is 8-1 in blowouts this season.
The Princeton Tigers have a defensive rating of 97.7 (ranked 12th), while the Penn Quakers have an offensive rating of 99.6 (ranked 287th).
The Penn Quakers average a field goal percentage of 42.4% this season. The Princeton Tigers have a winning 10-5 record in games where opponents have a FG% of 42.4% or greater.
The Princeton Tigers and the Penn Quakers both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Princeton is 48th and 20th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Penn is 257th and 242nd in these categories.
Princeton ranks 72nd in assists, registering 15.0 per game. Penn performs worse at 150th with 13.7 assists per game.
Penn ranks 214th in offensive rebounds, while Princeton ranks at 55th in defensive rebounds.
On average, Penn forces a turnover rate of 16.7%. When Princeton turns over the ball at a similar or higher rate, the team has a stellar 8-2 record.
