As the ultimate minute ticked off the clock, the Princeton followers began chanting “Candy 16! Candy 16!” and coach Mitch Henderson cleared the bench with the victory simply in hand.
This upset was no small-school fluke towards a extra heralded crew. It was a completely dominating efficiency that despatched Princeton to a spot it hadn’t been in additional than a half-century.
Blake Peters made 5 three-pointers within the second half and Princeton shocked one other energy convention crew to succeed in the NCAA event regional semifinals for the primary time in 56 years by beating Missouri 78-63 on Saturday.
“The world appears to be like at us as two upsets,” ahead Tosan Evbuomwan stated. “However I really feel like we’re purported to be right here. We now have numerous confidence in each other, what we’re doing. There’s positively no letup with this group.”
The No 15 seeded Tigers (23-8) adopted up a first-round win over Pac-12 event champions Arizona by dominating tenth seeded Missouri (25-10) of the Southeastern Convention from the beginning.
The Ivy League faculty identified for giving powerhouses scares and sometimes pulling off upsets a era in the past has reached the spherical of 16 for the primary time since 1967 when solely 23 groups even made the event.
“I’ve no phrases for you,” Peters stated. “We now have such an unbelievable part (of followers) right here. I’ve one of the best teammates on the planet. I like every one in all them. after we exit and imagine in one another, something is feasible. I do know it’s cliche, however something is feasible.”
Princeton will play the winner of Sunday’s recreation between Baylor and Creighton within the Candy 16 in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday night time.
The Tigers would be the second Ivy League faculty to make the Candy 16 previously 43 tournaments, becoming a member of Cornell in 2010. No crew from the academically prestigious convention that doesn’t give athletic scholarships has gone additional since Penn made the Closing 4 in 1979.
“I’ve all the time dreamed of taking part in deep into the event,” stated Henderson, a participant on Princeton’s groups in 1996 and ’98 that received first-round video games. “As a participant, bought to the second spherical a pair occasions. By no means bought past it.”
This marks the third straight yr a crew seeded fifteenth made it to the Candy 16, following Oral Roberts in 2021 and fellow New Jersey faculty Saint Peter’s final yr. The one different time a 15 seed made it this far got here in 2012 when Florida Gulf Coast did it.
Ryan Langborg led Princeton with 22 factors and Peters added 17.
DeAndre Gholston scored 19 factors and Noah Carter added 14 for Missouri, which was looking for its first berth within the Candy 16 since 2009.
“We had been capable of get the lead one time,” coach Dennis Gates stated. “We held the lead for 30 seconds in your entire recreation. Each time we bought the lead or once they had the lead, we lower it to 6, they got here again down and did what crew would do: Make a shot or make a play.”
Princeton confirmed no indicators of being outclassed towards one other energy convention crew, controlling the play from the beginning. Keeshawn Kellman had two dunks and a blocked shot in a span of 16 seconds halfway by means of the half.
Princeton constructed the result in 10 factors on a nook three by Zach Martini and went up 33-19 on a drive by Evbuomwan.
Missouri responded by scoring the ultimate seven factors of the half to enter the break down seven.
Each time Missouri threatened early within the second half, Princeton had a solution with Peters hitting five three-pointers. The fourth gave Princeton a 62-43 lead and Missouri by no means threatened after that.
“Blake Peters has been making photographs coming off the bench for us for weeks,” Henderson stated. “It is a very, very assured group. We’re so thrilled to be going to the Candy 16. It’s an absolute pleasure being round these guys. They only grit their enamel and so they do it.”
Princeton will search for their first Elite Eight look since 1965 when Invoice Bradley was the star.
