Late Night Snacks: Princeton battles Harvard for Ivy League crown

Game of the Day

Princeton 58, Harvard 53

The Tigers needed to beat the Crimson at home Friday or NCAA tournament hopes would be all but gone. Princeton shrugged off a 15-2 run with under three minutes to go from Harvard. With 1:06 to go Ian Hummer hit two free throws, putting Princeton up 54-53. Princeton missed the front-end of a one-and-one but hustle plays kept the ball in the Tigers’ hand. Princeton is only half a game behind Harvard in Ivy League standings, avenging an earlier loss to the Crimson.

Important Outcomes

Princeton 58, Harvard 53

Princeton has kept alive the hopes of an Ivy League play-in game with the win over Harvard. The Tigers trail half a game in the conference standings. If Princeton had lost, Harvard would only have to win two of its final three games. A play-in game happened two years ago.

Iona 90, Loyola (MD) 86

Iona dropped a double overtime game against Manhattan last Friday, starting a three-game losing streak. The Gaels got back on track and stayed in the MAAC standings mix with a win over Loyal (MD), who held sole possession of second place entering the game. Lamont Jones had 22 of his 35 in the second half for Iona. The MAAC has five teams with 10 wins.

Mahattan 34, Fairfield 31

It’s hard to win a game only scoring 34 points, but somehow the Jaspers did. Manhattan and Fairfield combined for the second-lowest point total since 3-point was added in 1986. Fairfield shot 26 percent, while Mahattan shot 25 from the floor. Shane Richards has 11 points for the Jaspers, the only player to score in double figures.

Starred

Lamont Jones, Iona

Jones scored 22 of his game-high 35 points in the second half, snapping a three-game losing streak and keeping Iona in the crammed MAAC standings. The Gaels had lost six of their last seven and topped Loyola (MD) who was in second place entering the game. Jones was 7-for-7 from the field in the second half.

Ian Hummer, Princeton

Hummer scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Harvard had 24 rebounds as a team. Hummer shot 8-of-14 from the field and doubled Harvard’s production on the offensive glass with four rebounds.

Adam Kemp, Marist

Kemp had 24 points 14 rebounds and five blocks in a two-point win over Siena. What’s more impressive is he did this against a frontline that includes O.D. Anosike. Kemp played above the rims, dunking on seven of his 10 field goals.

Struggled

Harvard 3-point shooting

The Crimson were 0-of-8 from behind the arc. The Crimson were dominated on the glass, but were unable to connect on an area where they shine. Harvard’s loss makes the Ivy League a battle that will go down to the final day.

Fairfield and Manhattan

The Stags and Jaspers hit an almost all-time low, with the second-lowest combined score since the 3-point line has been in use. Only one player in double figures and neither team shot better than 26 percent. Fairfield and Manhattan joins Tennessee-Georgetown in the 30-30 club this season.

East Tennessee State defense

The Bucs allowed USC Upstate Spartans to shoot 49 percent from the field, including 46 from behind the arc (13-for-28) opposed to their 35 percent and 22 percent from deep. East Tennessee State allowed four of USC Upstate’s five starters to score in double figures.

Terrence is also the lead writer at NEHoopNews.com and can be followed on Twitter: @terrence_payne