Lycoming News

The University of Pennsylvania men's basketball team faced off against Princeton for their 250th game on Saturday night at The Palestra in Philadelphia. This historic matchup saw the teams score a combined total of 188 points, the highest ever in the series, with Princeton securing a decisive 105-83 victory.

Princeton's performance was marked by their impressive three-point shooting. After missing their first attempt, they successfully hit 12 out of their next 18 shots from beyond the arc, establishing a commanding 15-point lead by halftime. In total, Princeton made 17 out of 27 three-point attempts, achieving a shooting percentage of 63.0%.

Penn concluded its season with an overall record of 11-18 and a conference record of 3-11 in Ivy League play. Meanwhile, Princeton improved to an overall record of 24-3 and claimed the Ivy League title outright with a conference record of 12-2. As the top seed, Princeton will participate in the upcoming Ivy League Tournament at Columbia. For Penn, this marks the first time they have missed Ivy Madness since its inception.

Reflecting on Penn's performance: "Here's a crazy stat: Penn lost by 22 in a game where the Quakers shot 56.4 percent from the field (31-55); that's a season high against a Division I opponent," noted observers.

In his final game for Penn, senior Clark Slajchert scored his tenth game with at least twenty points this season and ended his career with over one thousand points. Freshman Tyler Perkins also made history by scoring more points than any other freshman in program history.

Princeton's standout players included sophomore Caden Pierce who contributed significantly with thirty-two points and nine rebounds while Zach Martini added twenty-three points to help secure their victory.

The match began strongly for Princeton as they quickly established dominance with early three-pointers leading them to take control throughout much of both halves despite some resistance from Penn during parts of gameplay such as when George Smith attempted briefly turning tables hitting crucial threes but ultimately falling short due largely thanks again due strong performances especially inside paint later stages ensuring comfortable win Tigers' side ending successful regular season campaign moving forward postseason ambitions intact having secured top spot standings ahead tournament action looming horizon.