Penn’s road to a potential NCAA Tournament bid runs through Princeton. For both men and women.
The path to an Ivy League conference title for both Penn men’s and women’s basketball runs through an all-too-familiar foe.
The path to an Ivy League conference title for both Penn men’s and women’s basketball runs through a familiar foe.
No. 4 seeded Penn women’s basketball (17-10, 9-5 Ivy) kicks off today’s start of Ivy Madness against the top-seeded Princeton inside Princeton’s Jadwon Gymnasium (4:30 p.m., ESPN+).
The Tigers (21-5, 12-2 Ivy) ride a 13-game win streak, and most recently, took care of business at the Palestra, 71-52, to cap off their regular season.
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On the men’s side, the first-round matchup between the No. 3 seeded Quakers (17-12, 9-5 Ivy) and No. 2 seeded Princeton (19-8, 10-4 Ivy) tips off on Saturday also at the home of the Tigers (1:30 p.m., ESPNU/ESPN+).
Both Quakers teams fell at the hands of Princeton last weekend in their respective regular-season finales, but beginning today and through this weekend still have a chance at redemption, a conference title, and an NCAA tournament bid.
Knocking off a juggernaut
To have a chance at staying in Princeton until next weekend’s championship, Penn women will needs to orchestrate one of its best games of the season — on the road.
The Quakers have struggled on the road this season, going just 5-8 away from the Palestra while boasting a 12-2 record at home.
Senior Kayla Padilla and junior Jordan Obi will do most of the heavy lifting, but continuous ball movement and getting open shots for snipers like sophomore Stina Almquivst and freshman Simone Sawyers will also be key.
Penn and Princeton are the top-two scoring defenses in the conference, and a slow-paced defensive showdown may just be ideal for the veteran-laden and underdog Quakers.
Back for vengeance
Penn men’s basketball will likely have a better shot at knocking off its rival Princeton, but the Tigers appear to be Quaker kryptonite — as Princeton has won eight in a row against Penn, the latest in last weekend’s regular-season finale.
The outcome will rest heavily upon the performance of Ivy League Player of the Year Jordan Dingle, who is second in the nation in points per game (23.6).
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In the team’s last matchup, Dingle was on fire in the first half and helped build a 17-point lead for Penn.
However, the Tigers defended Dingle well collectively in the second half with traps and double teams, and the Quakers fell, 77-69 in overtime, to snap an eight-game win streak.
The Tigers have dominated at home, posting a 10-3 record, while the Quakers are just 6-8 on the road this season.
The good news for Penn is that the team has gone 10-5 since the new year began and is playing as well as any other team in the Ivy League.
Steady scoring contributions from juniors Clark Slajchert and Max Martz will be pivotal in deciding what is bound to be a physical and gritty contest. from the first whistle.