Takeaways | Princeton outlasts Rutgers basketball with Caden Pierce’s game-winning shot

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NEWARK – Both Rutgers basketball coach Steve Pikiell and Princeton’s Mitch Henderson have expressed a desire to keep the annual series between their teams going into the future.

That’s a good thing because both teams delivered another highly entertaining game.

Right down to the final seconds.

Ace Bailey drained a three-pointer from the left wing with 17 seconds left before a tough layup from Caden Pierce pushed Princeton back ahead for good to send the Tigers to an 83-82 victory Saturday at Prudential Center in the Never Forget Tribute Classic.

It was the second-straight year Princeton beat Rutgers in this matchup.

Pierce and Xavian Lee each had 21 points for Princeton, while Dylan Harper led Rutgers with 22 points. Pierce also had 14 rebounds in a tremendous performance.

Dec 21, 2024; Newark, New Jersey, USA; Princeton Tigers guard Xaivian Lee (1) and Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Dylan Harper (2) battle for the ball during the first half at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-Imagn Images

It was a frenetic, up-and-down battle from the opening tip and that fast pace never relented.

Just a fantastic game from start to finish with the teams exchanging leads (17 times) and making big basket after big basket.

Princeton took a 77-73 lead with about five minutes to go when Philip Byriel drained a three from the right corner. Against his former team, Zach Martini, who drained a three from the right corner minutes earlier, hit two foul shots to cut the deficit to two before Lee made a layup on the other end to push it back to four.

Lee then made a tough reverse layup with a little more than two minutes to go to make it a six-point game before a Jeremiah Williams jumper in the lane cut Rutgers’ deficit to four and a jumper from Bailey from the right corner made it 81-79 with 54.2 seconds left.

It was tight right until the final buzzer, with Pierce’s game-winning basket with five seconds to go making the difference.

Princeton shot 47.1 percent from the field and went 9-of-27…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/takeaways-princeton-outlasts-rutgers-basketball-192652411.html

Author : App.com | Asbury Park Press

Publish date : 2024-12-21 19:26:00

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