Penn men lose a heartbreaker to Princeton, 61-59, for 12th straight loss in Ivy League rivalry

Penn’s loss to Princeton on Friday marks 12 straight in the rivalry, a losing streaking spanning back to 2019. An entire class of recruits has come and gone since Penn’s last victory in the series.

Friday’s contest would suggest anything but a lopsided recent history, though.

Penn (6-14, 2-5 Ivy) fell to Princeton (16-6, 5-2) 61-59 at the Palestra. The Quakers were without their leading scorer, Ethan Roberts, who’s out with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Without their best player, six Quakers players scored seven or more points.

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“I thought there were times that we were so anxious, they were making a run and the Palestra’s rocking. And our poise at that time [was absent]. … the effort, the defense, and the hustle [was there],” said Penn coach Steve Donahue.

In total, the Quakers only led for 1 minute and 41 seconds on Friday. They were able to play the role of a pest though, sticking with the Tigers until the final whistle. Penn freshman guard AJ Levine’s defense can be thanked, partially, for that.

On the final possession of the game, the game was tied at 59-59. Levine, who recorded a team-high four steals, found himself on an island with Princeton guard Xaivian Lee. Levine, again, forced Lee to cough up the ball, but the loose ball landed in the hands of Tigers guard Jackson Hicke.

Hicke, a Radnor native, was fouled on his shot with 0.6 seconds left. He converted both free throws to ice the game.

“I knew there had to be, at most, one second on the clock. I kind of just pump-faked it and hoped to get a foul and I did,” Hicke recounted on the final play. “I was just trying to stay confident [going to the free throw line]. My teammates were great, just keeping me confident.”

With 16:31 left in the first half, Princeton’s Lee showed off why he is regarded as an NBA prospect. The Toronto native threw a lob to a wide-open forward Malik Abdullahi, who jammed the alley-oop to take an early 11-0 lead.

Besides that assist, Penn’s defense limited Lee through the first half. He shot just 2 of 10 from the floor, and missed all five attempts from beyond the arc — a welcome sign for a Penn backcourt that struggled to defend guards last weekend.

Lee finished with 11 points, four assists, and three turnovers.

With 2:55 left, Princeton’s Abdullahi continued to put together his highlight tape. As Penn sophomore guard Sam Brown looked to convert on a scoop layup, Abdullahi blocked Brown’s attempt into Penn’s student section.

Niklas Polonowski, who stepped into the starting lineup for Roberts, led the way with seven points through the first half, as the Quakers went into the breakdown 31-24.

The Ivy rivals put on a show in the second half for the 3,475 in attendance.

With 11:46 left in the game, Levine plucked a pass from Lee. The pesky 6-foot guard promptly drove down the court and hit a streaking three-pointer to cut Princeton’s lead to two, 44-42.

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Following an ensuing Princeton three and Penn layup, the Tigers turned the ball for a second time in a two-minute span. The Quakers took advantage.

The former Lower Merion star Brown pump-faked, sent Lee flying, and converted on a turnaround three-pointer. The Quakers tied the game for the first time since the opening tip, 47-47, with 9:58 remaining.

Brown finished with 12 points and five rebounds.

Later, at the 4:53 minute mark, Levine came up with another steal. Going coast to coast, he converted a layup to bring the Quakers within two, 56-54.

Levine scored nine points and added two assists. His real impact was on the defensive side though, limiting Princeton’s guards consistently. Along with Lee, Princeton guard Caden Pierce, last year’s Ivy Player of the Year, was held to just nine points.

“[Levine’s] strength and quickness and competitive nature against a kid like Lee, who’s obviously done a lot. I’m just amazed how well he can play on the ball. When he’s off the ball, he’s really alert. He’s made us a better team, and I’m excited for the next seven games,” said Donahue.

Penn outscored Princeton 18-5 on points off turnovers.

Penn will look to break a three-game losing streak in a road game at Yale on Feb. 14(7 p.m., ESPN+).