Princeton makes multiple pieces of history at NCAA tournament following second-straight upset
The Princeton Tigers continue to march their way through the madness, making NCAA Tournament history on Saturday with a dominant 78-63 second-round win against Missouri. Not only was that the largest margin of victory ever from a 15-seed, but Princeton also became just the fourth No. 15 seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
With that, the Tigers are quickly becoming this year’s “Cinderella” school to root for. The scene after Saturday’s win was exactly what you’d expect from an underdog story, with Princeton players reveling in the moment and sending a message to their doubters.
“They don’t want to see us!” freshman guard Jack Scott screamed out while celebrating the victory with his teammates.
The Sweet Sixteen appearance is the first for Princeton since 1967 when only 23 teams even made the NCAA Tournament. It is also the first for an Ivy League school since Cornell made it to the Sweet Sixteen in 2010. Even more impressive is that it has long been the Ivy League’s policy not to award athletic scholarships, as its main focus is on academics.
But Princeton proved this past week it can still play with anybody. Coming off a shocking upset of No. 2 seed Arizona on Thursday, it refused to let its journey through the bracket end against Missouri.
Princeton led for all but 30 seconds, with its largest advantage being 66-45 with just under five minutes to play. Blake Peters scored five 3-pointers in the second half to finish the game with 17 points in just 15 minutes off the bench. Senior guard Ryan Lanborg led the team with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting to go along with six rebounds and four assists.
Princeton also showed itself to be the more physical team Saturday, outrebounding Missouri 44-30, including 16 offensive boards. Freshman forward Caden Pierce nearly had a double-double with 16 rebounds and nine points.
This is also the third straight season in which a 15 seed has reached the Sweet Sixteen. Oral Roberts made it in 2021 followed by Saint Peter’s last season. Florida Gulf Coast is the only other 15 seed to do so, becoming the first ever during the 2013 tournament.
Of those previous three schools, only Saint Peter’s moved on to the Elite Eight, where it eventually lost to North Carolina. Princeton will hope to follow in their footsteps to become just the second 15 seed to make it that far.
To get there, they’ll have to beat the winner of a game between Creighton and Baylor on Saturday. But to this point, they’ve shown they’re not afraid of anyone.