The Princeton Tigers will be at Newman Arena at The Fieldhouse to face off against the Cornell Big Red in an Ivy League matchup. The game begins at 6:00 pm ET on Friday, Feb. 12.
The Big Red are hoping for a better outcome after their 83-52 loss to Yale the last time they played. Matt Morgan finished with 20 points to lead the game. The Tigers, meanwhile, are coming off an 83-70 win against Dartmouth in their last game. Steven Cook led the game in scoring by accumulating 27 points on 10-for-15 shooting.
Morgan has taken his game to another level over the last five games for the Big Red. During that stretch, he has averaged 26.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 3.6 three-pointers. On the other side, the Tigers have been led by Henry Caruso. He has been on fire, averaging 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.2 three-pointers in the same time frame.
Second-chance points might be scarce for the Big Red in this matchup. They rank 335th in the nation in offensive rebounding (OR% of 23.3%), while Princeton is fourth-best in the nation on the defensive glass (DR% of 77.1%).
The Big Red have gone 9-11 Straight Up (SU) and 6-7 Against The Spread (ATS). Over their past 10 games, the Cornell offense has been playing lights out, averaging 82.2 points per game, well over their season average of 72.3. The Cornell defense is doing better against opposing offenses during the last 10 games. It is allowing an average of 67.1 points per game, well under their season average of 77.5.
Across the court, the Tigers have records of 5-5-1 ATS and 14-5 SU. Offensively, they average 78.9 points per game, which is good for 47th in the country. The Tigers are the better of the two teams when it comes to assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking 30th in Division I at 1.40. The Princeton defense has allowed an average of 75.6 points per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 67.5. Princeton’s three-point defense is one of the top in the country, with opponents making only 6.0 shots from the three-point line per game. The Tigers are a terror on the defensive glass, averaging an impressive 27.6 defensive rebounds per game.
Cornell and Princeton meet for what will be their first head-to-head battle of the season. Princeton won the last game in the matchup, moving its SU record against Cornell to 8-2 in their most recent head-to-head meetings. The Tigers also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 7-3. Princeton held the edge in field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers three times, while Cornell was never able to do so in their most recent five games.
Predictions: SU Winner – Prince, ATS Winner – Prince
Notes
Cornell scores an average of just 72.3 points per game (ranked 156th). Princeton ranks 69th in points allowed, giving up 67.5 points per game.
Cornell scores just 75.0 points per home game (ranked 151st). Princeton ranks 57th in points allowed on the road, giving up 70.3 points.
Cornell lost its last game by a 31-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, Princeton is 6-1. Cornell is 2-5 in blowouts this season.
Ranked 44th, the Princeton Tigers have an offensive rating of 112.9. The Cornell Big Red rank 233rd with a defensive rating of just 105.6.
The Princeton Tigers average a field goal percentage of 45.7% this season. The Cornell Big Red have an abysmal record of 1-5 when opponents have a FG% of 45.7% or greater.
The Cornell Big Red and the Princeton Tigers both rank higher in average effective field goal percentage when compared to their field goal percentages. Cornell is 267th and 225th in the nation for FG% and eFG% respectively, while Princeton is 91st and 40th in these categories.
Princeton ranks 77th in assists, recording 15.3 per game. Cornell performs worse at 322nd with 10.9 assists per game.
Princeton, the 92nd-ranked team in rebounding, registers an average of 38.2 rebounds per game. Cornell does worse, ranked 286th with 34.0.
The Cornell Big Red make an average of 8.0 steals per game. When the Princeton Tigers allow 7 or more steals, they are a winning 4-1.
