The Penn-Princeton Basketball Rivalry: It doesn't get any better than this.

01291974PrincetonatPenn    02061990PrincetonatPenn    02082005PrincetonatPenn
JANUARY 29, 1974                                FEBRUARY 6, 1990                                  FEBRUARY 8, 2005


Many have tried to figure out why the Penn-Princeton rivalry is so heated, so emotional and so intense. Like its better-known counterparts, Duke-North Carolina in basketball and Army-Navy in football, Penn-Princeton has all the components of a good sports rivalry – passion, respect for the opponent, distinct styles of play, close geographical proximity and two schools with very different identities. What distinguishes this rivalry from the others, however, is its winner-take-all element. Because the Ivy League is the only Division I conference not to have a post-season tournament, the regular-season winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. For Penn and Princeton, the loser, at best, can hope to get into the NIT. That's what happens when you play in a league that merits one NCAA bid. Only on rare occasions does the name of the winner not begin with the letter “P.” No other league has seen two teams dominate the way Penn and Princeton have. Only six times since the Ivy League’s inception in 1956 has the conference champion been a team other than the Quakers or the Tigers, which means that nearly every time these teams meet it is for the chance to play in the NCAA tournament.  But the fact that these two schools have won 35 of the last 37 Ivy League men's basketball championships just scratches the surface of the war, for it doesn't just exist on the hardwood. The Penn and Princeton football teams played 31 times over 19 seasons beginning in 1876, but the 1894 game was so brutal that it led to a 41-year break before their next meeting in 1935.

The rivalry wasn't always as intense as it is today. Still, the Penn-Princeton rivalry began to take hold during the Ivy League’s first decade. Princeton dominated its series with Penn then, winning 15 of 20 games and five league titles while the Quakers never finished better than second in the standings. Despite the lopsided matchup, the passion already was growing. Former Princeton Coach Butch van Breda Kolff, who guided the Tigers from 1962 to 1967, was quoted on a plaque in the Palestra as saying, “I just never liked Penn – don’t know why, just never did. And I don’t think they ever liked us much either.” The rivalry intensified when Pete Carril was at Princeton. More than anything, Carril wanted to win. He especially wanted to win Ivy League titles. And because Penn usually was the team preventing that, Carril grew to dislike the Quakers. When things looked good, Carril would gesture animatedly. When they looked bad, he would slump on the bench. Carril became a character to the Penn fans, who couldn't have asked for somebody to be a better target. The "Sit down, Pete" chant started here. Penn-Princeton basketball is as good as it gets. It's the best rivalry in sports. And in the world of college basketball, it's the only one where the game really matters. Click VIDEO to watch ESPNU's segment on the Penn-Princeton rivalry or click VIDEO to see how some of the participants view the rivalry.

Penn 66, Princeton 62 (OT) (January 28, 1971)
Corky Calhoun gave Penn an 11th-hour reprieve against Princeton when he sank a 22-foot jump shot with two seconds left in regulation, tying the score, 60-60. Princeton was on the verge of victory when the Tigers led, 56-49, with only 2:19 remaining. Dave Wohl converted two free throws to cut the lead to 56-51. Wohl promptly stole the Tigers inbounds pass and sank a layup. Penn regained possession and Wohl was again fouled. He converted both ends of the one-and-one with 32 seconds to go, closing the gap to one, 59-58.  The Quakers were then forced to foul and, with 13 seconds remaining, Wohl committed his fifth personal, sending Ted Manakas to the line for a one-and-one.  He sank the first but missed the second, giving the Quakers life.  After a timeout, Calhoun, with one second to go, hit a 22-foot jump shot from the top of the key to send the game into overtime. In the extra session, Penn still had trouble breaking the Tigers' zone. With 1:13 remaining, Bob Morse hit from 22 feet and Steve Bilsky converted a one-and-one. Meanwhile, the Quakers' defense held Princeton to two points and the Quakers went on to beat the Tigers, 66-62, to remain undefeated following their closest call of the campaign. Click VIDEO to watch Corky Calhoun's game-tying buzzer-beater or click AUDIO to listen to the dramatic final 32 seconds of regulation.

BOB BIGELOW'S BUZZER-BEATER: Penn 67, Princeton 65 (January 29, 1974)
Penn entered the contest in first place in the Ivy League with a 3-0 record.  The Tigers came in one game behind at 2-1, their lone loss coming at the hands of the Quakers.at Jadwin Gym just a three-and-a-half weeks earlier. The game was close throughout and came down to the final seconds. Penn held for the final shot, with Bob Bigelow nailing a 20-foot buzzer-beater to give the Quakers the victory in a nail-biter over their archrivals. Click VIDEO to watch Bob Bigelow's buzzer-beater or click VIDEO to watch highlights of Penn's dramatic victory.

Princeton 50, Penn 49 (January 4, 1975)
The game was televised regionally on NBC. Going in, Princeton wasn't given much of a chance. The Tigers had lost eight of their last 10 games against Penn. The Quakers had won five consecutive Ivy League titles and were ranked No. 12 nationally. On this night, however, the Quakers couldn't make a basket. They missed shot after shot, which allowed Princeton to take a 30-22 halftime lead. After Princeton led by 16 with 16 minutes to play, Penn closed to within one with a minute remaining. John Engles had a shot to win the game for the Quakers, but the ball caromed off the rim and the Tigers prevailed, 50-49.  Click VIDEO to watch some of the early second half action.

Penn 75, Princeton 57 (January 28, 1975)
To the Penn players, there was no place like home as they gained sweet revenge by beating Princeton, 75 57, before 6,297 basketball fans at The Palestra.  The win enabled Penn to go on and win its sixth straight Ivy League title. Unlike their earlier meeting at Jadwin, the Quakers never allowed Princeton to control the tempo of the game.  The Red and Blue jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the first five minutes and the Tigers never caught up.  Penn led 32-18 at the break, and by as much as 23 points, 50-27, early in the second half, before coasting to the easy victory.  All was not lost for Princeton, though. The Tigers closed the regular season by winning 13 straight games and won the NIT championship in New York. Click VIDEO to watch a red-hot Mark Lonetto, as well as an awesome blocked shot by Henry Johnson in which he actually caught the ball.

"PETE CARRIL'S HYSTERICAL OUTBURST": Penn 49, Princeton 44 (January 28, 1978)
It was just one helluva contest. It was the traditional Penn-Princeton rivalry -- Old Nassau against West Philly, the scrappy champions against the talented challengers, and a young coach against a legend. It was tough, physical basketball, a close contest from the opening tipoff to the final buzzer, the type of game Princeton's Pete Carril loves and almost always wins. But this time Carril did not pull off another of his fabled upsets, and it was a shame the excitement and beauty of the 49-44 Penn win -- the first time the Red and Blue have defeated the Orange and Black twice in one season since 1974 -- was tempered by bitterness, insults and disdain. Princeton had the ball and was running a slow, patterned offense. Tiger forward Frank Sowinski received a pass from behind center Bob Roma's screen and seemingly hit a jump shot. But Tony Price, following Sowinski, got entangled in Roma's pick and in trying to free himself, threw an elbow. That was when everything started. Carril quickly rushed off the Princeton bench and began berating first referee Steve Honzo for not calling a flagrant foul on Price and then Tony, which in turn incensed Penn coach Bob Weinhauer. Carril had continued sniping at both referees, and at one point yelled during halftime, "He belongs in jail, not on a court," obviously referring to Price.

"IVY PLAYOFF": Penn 50, Princeton 49 (March 4, 1980)
The Quakers pulled off a last-minute victory in the Ivy playoff game when senior captain James "Booney" Salters swished an 18-foot jump shot from the right baseline with 11 seconds left in the game -- giving the Quakers a thrilling 50-49 victory.  Flustered by Princeton’s zone defense, Penn needed more than five minutes to make its first field goal. The Quakers, who later went through a six-minute stretch without a basket in the first half, managed to go up 27-25 at halftime. The Quakers and Tigers traded baskets down to the last minute. Gary Knapp, a freshman who led the Tigers with 14 points, scored on an eight-foot jump shot with 39 seconds remaining to put Princeton ahead, 49-48. But the Tigers' lead did not last long as Salters threw up the game-winning shot less than 30 seconds later.  It was Knapp who tried again to put up Princeton's game-winning shot. But his foul-line jumper bounced off the rim as time expired, sending the Quakers back to the NCAA tournament.  Click VIDEO to watch Booney's game-winner.

"IVY PLAYOFF" (Part II): Princeton 54, Penn 40 (March 10, 1981)
The Tigers exacted revenge with a 54-40 victory to win the Ivy League title, ending Penn's streak of three-straight NCAA appearances.  Ten minutes into the game, the Quakers were already down 18-4, and Princeton never looked back. While the Tigers advanced to the NCAAs, the Quakers earned an invitation to the NIT tournament, where they lost to West Virginia in the first round. "When Princeton gets a 10-12 point lead, it feels like a 15-20 point lead," Weinhauer said. "I never felt like we were in that game."  Ken Hall scored 11 points and no one else had more than eight for the Quakers. George Noon and Michael Brown, Penn's tall men down low, were shut off by the Tigers' zone. Click VIDEO to watch the conclusion.

"THE DAVID LARDNER GAME": Penn 43, Princeton 40 (January 30, 1982)
It wasn't supposed to be the way Penn's coach Bob Weinhauer was supposed to kick off his final Ivy League season.  After winning the Ancient Eight with a 13-1 record the previous year, the Quakers started the 1981-82 campaign with losses at Brown and Yale, falling 76-75, and 49-48, respectively.  But for at least one night, all memories of the ugly Penn start were erased with a 43-40 victory over Princeton in front of a sold out Palestra crowd.  Despite trailing by as many as nine, the Quakers came back, thanks to the shooting of forward David Lardner, who shot 7-for-10 in the second half.  Down 26-18 at the half, Lardner scored 10 of Penn's next 15 points to tie the game at 33 with 7:18 remaining.  The momentum from the win over rival Princeton carried Penn for the rest of the season, as the Quakers would not lose another game -- winning the remainder of the Ivy matchups as well as a tilt against Temple.  Click VIDEO to watch or click AUDIO to listen to highlights of the David Lardner show.

Penn 46, Princeton 43 (February 23, 1982)
Penn led 24-21 at the break.  The Quakers' lead was 37-33 before Princeton scored five consecutive points, the last on a Gordon Enderle free throw, to take a 38-37 lead.  The Red and Blue would not score another field goal the rest of the way, however, a pair of free throws by Avery Rawlings put the Quakers ahead for good.  On the other end, Paul Little seemed to come out of nowhere to reject a Craig Robinson layup, leading to two more free throws from David Lardner which gave Penn a 41-38 lead with 2:34 to go.  The Tigers would eventually cut the lead to one, 44-43, on a shot by Enderle with 0:14 left, but two clutch Karl Racine free throws with 0:05 remaining iced the victory, 46-43.  Click AUDIO to listen to Paul Little reject Craig Robinson.

Penn 41, Princeton 39 (February 1, 1983)
It was only the third game of the Ivy League season, but it could have determined another Ivy basketball title.  It usually does.  Karl Racine converted two free throws with two seconds showing on the clock to give Penn a 41-39 win over Princeton at Jadwin Gym, a 3-0 Ivy record and the lead in the race for the League championship and NCAA Tournament bid.  The Quakers held the ball the final two minutes until Princeton forward Craig Robinson fouled Racine. Penn would go on to improve its Ivy record to 7-0 and its League lead to two games over Princeton (5-2), before dropping three conference games within a nine-day span and finishing in second place, behind the Tigers.  Click VIDEO to watch the final seconds.

HASSAN DUNCOMBE AT THE BUZZER: Penn 51, Princeton 50 (February 6, 1990)
The Quakers took a 12-point lead in the first half, but the Tigers stormed back within two at the half, 26-24. The second half saw neither team go up by more than three. With one second remaining, and Princeton leading by a point, Paul Chambers was fouled and stepped to the line for a one-and-one. It seemed like the game was over for Penn when Chambers' free throw fell off the side of the rim. But fate smiled on the Quakers, and the 4,580 in attendance saw one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the Palestra.  Penn center Hassan Duncombe positioned himself in front of two Tigers --Matt Lapin and Kit Mueller -- and tipped in the rebound to give the Quakers a 51-50 upset victory. "That is one of the more unacceptable ways to lose a basketball game", Princeton coach Pete Carril said after the game.  Duncombe finished with seven points for the Quakers, while Tyrone Gilliams and Chambers each had 10 for Penn. The Tigers' Matt Eastwick led all scorers with 15 points. Click VIDEO to watch Hassan Duncombe muscle past Kit Mueller to tip home the game-winner.

Princeton 42, Penn 40 (February 4, 1992)
The Ivy League standings found Penn near the bottom at 1-2, looking up at the 3-0 Tigers.  As was the case with many Penn-Princeton matchups, the game came down to the final seconds. A rowdy Palestra crowd held its breath as Princeton's Sean Jackson, an 89 percent foul shooter, looked up from the charity stripe to see five seconds left on the game clock, the Tigers leading Penn by just a deuce.  The front end of the one-and-one was long, giving new life to the Quakers. The clock, on the other hand, would be less than kind to the Red and Blue. Penn's Jerome Allen hustled the ball up the floor, feeding Barry Pierce. The buzzer sounded as Pierce's desperation shot nicked the rim and fell away, taking with it Penn's Ivy title hopes. Click VIDEO to watch the exciting finish.

"THE EXORCISM GAME": Penn 64, Princeton 46 (January 30, 1993)
Has the Palestra ever been louder than after Tim Krug's incredible block of Rick Hielscher's attempted layup? A sellout crowd watched the Quakers smash Princeton by 18 points, their largest win since 1986. Matt Maloney led Penn with 18 points while Krug scored 12 points in the second half. Click VIDEO to watch Tim Krug reject Rick Hielscher.

"BRAGGING RIGHTS": Penn 52, Princeton 51 (March 9, 1993)
Four days earlier, the Quakers clinched the Ivy championship with a resounding 71-49 victory over Yale. Therefore, the game only four days later against the dreaded Tigers was purely for bragging rights.  The archrivals did not fail to deliver, granting the crowd another typical nailbiter in true Penn-Princeton fashion. After falling behind by 13 in the first half, the Tigers worked their way back into the game and refused to let the Quakers run away with the win, sticking close throughout much of the second half. With 3.7 seconds left in the game, Princeton inbounded the ball to center Rick Hielscher, who faked his defender -- Penn forward Andy Baratta -- and managed to put up a valiant shot at the rim from 18 feet out. The Quakers held their breaths as the ball unsteadily hit the rim, dropped in and then popped out.  Hielscher tipped the ball in, but after the buzzer, and Penn held on for a 52-51 win at Jadwin Gym. Matt Maloney had 17 for the Red and Blue, who completed its undefeated Ivy season and headed to the NCAA Tournament. Click VIDEO to watch to exciting finish.

"BARRY PIERCE'S SIGNATURE SLAM": Penn 66, Princeton 55 (January 29, 1994)
Barry Pierce's signature two-handed slam was the exclamation point to a one-sided contest that became dangerously close in the end. It was a symbol to the Quaker faithful that the team would not let this game slip away in the waning seconds. It was the signal for Princeton fans to head for the doors. Pierce's dunk made a statement -- "We will not lose" -- as the Quakers drubbed the Tigers, 66-55. Click VIDEO to watch Barry Pierce's two-handed slam.

"IVY CHAMPS": Penn 53, Princeton 43 (March 2, 1994)
Matt Maloney scored 24 points, including nine of the Quakers' first 16 points, and dished out four assists, as No. 25 Penn captured its second consecutive Ivy title and NCAA berth. With the score tied at 39, Maloney drove past Princeton freshman guard Sydney Johnson for a layup. Then he penetrated into the lane and drew the defense, only to kick it back out to Eric Moore for a wide open three and Penn led 44-40.  Chris Mooney's three-pointer cut it to 44-43. From that point on, Maloney was the only player to score.  After missing a pair of three-point shots that would have signaled the death knell for Princeton, Maloney tried again. The shot hit net. The crowd went berserk.  Maloney closed the game by burying four free throws.  His defense also frustrated the Tigers as Johnson was unable to get the ball from the point to the wings without Maloney contesting the passes. One pass he took three-quarters of the court and spun past Mooney for a layup. It was the only fast-break basket for the Quakers all night.  Click VIDEO to watch Matt Maloney take over down the stretch.

"HEY RICK, REMEMBER ME?": Penn 69, Princeton 50 (January 28, 1995)
Princeton center Rick Hielscher had to live with the memory of a Tim Krug block for two long years. Now he had a new memory. As Penn pounded the Tigers into submission, Krug executed an awe-inspiring slam on poor Hielscher's head. Sixteen Penn players saw minutes in the contest as the Red & Blue built a 19-point halftime advantage against their archrivals and went on to win by the same differential.  Penn's defense was the key, as Princeton had more turnovers than baskets on the night. Senior guards Jerome Allen and Matt Maloney held the Tigers backcourt of Sydney Johnson and Chris Long scoreless in the first half. Princeton suffered from long distance as the Tigers first connected on a three pointer with 10:43 left in the second half. Allen, the Quakers' lone captain, led all scorers with 13 points on 3-for-5 shooting from the field. Click VIDEO to watch Tim Krug's awesome slam.

"KRUG REJECTS HIELSCHER, AGAIN!": Penn 69, Princeton 57 (March 8, 1995)
When Penn defeated Princeton, 69-57, at Jadwin Gym, the Quakers concluded a third consecutive undefeated Ivy season. Forward Shawn Trice led the way for Penn, scoring a career-high 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting. After a first half plagued by turnovers on both sides, nothing had been decided and the score was tied at 28. The Quakers began the second half strong and gradually opened a lead. With just over 13 minutes to play, senior Scott Kegler drained a three-pointer to put Penn ahead 47-34. But Princeton center Rick Hielscher answered with a trifecta of his own, sparking a 12-2 Tigers run which closed the gap to three, 49-46, with seven minutes left. Penn forward Tim Krug, who had a habit of making big plays against Princeton, blocked a shot by Hielscher and then buried a three-pointer at the other end. That put the Quakers ahead 54-46, and Princeton would never again get closer than six points as Penn put a final exclamation point on its Ivy League feats. Click VIDEO to watch Tim Krug's block, followed by his three-pointer.

Penn 57, Princeton 55 (January 6, 1996)
It had all the elements of an important college basketball game -- a long rivalry, a legendary coach, an unexpected hero, and a bizarre ending. The Quakers overcame both their own poor foul shooting and the Tigers to earn a 57-55 victory. The narrow margin of victory gives no indication of the superiority Penn demonstrated through the first 39 minutes of play. In fact, with 50 seconds left, the score stood at 55-44. Tim Krug went to the free throw line to shoot the double bonus and missed both. Nat Graham grabbed the rebound, but stepped out of bounds. He argued the call and was assessed a technical foul.  Brian Earl then made one of two to close the gap to 10. Donald Moxley was quickly fouled. He also missed both free throws. The Tigers raced down the floor and closed to within seven on a trey from Mitch Henderson. Ira Bowman was fouled and made one of two, but seconds later the home team was within five on a trey from Earl. It was now Graham's turn at the foul line. He failed on both attempts. Once again, Princeton charged downcourt, this time getting a Henderson layup with 8.1 seconds to play and the score stood at 56-53. Garett Kreitz was then fouled and converted one of two. As the final buzzer sounded Chris Doyal layed the ball in to create the final score. As Penn celebrated a tight victory, the officials conferred and determined that Princeton had called a timeout with less than one-tenth of a second remaining. The players returned to the court, and with 0.0 seconds showing on the game clock, Penn inbounded the ball to end the game. It had been a remarkable final minute and Penn won its first game against the Tigers in the post-Jerome era. Click VIDEO to watch Donald Moxley's three-pointer and fast-break layup give Penn a 55-44 lead with under one minute remaining.

"LET'S PLAY THREE": Penn 63, Princeton 49 (March 5, 1996)
Ernie Banks would love this Ivy League men's basketball season. Penn's 63-49 victory over Princeton -- the Quakers' second decisive win over the Tigers this year -- ensured that the Ancient Eight regular season would end with the two schools tied atop the standings. There were three ties and three lead changes early in the first half, and neither team was ahead by more than three points.  With Penn clinging to an 18-17 lead, the Quakers outscored the Tigers 15-5 to take a 33-22 lead.  Penn held a 10-point lead at halftime, 33-23, and more or less preserved it the rest of the game. The Tigers never got closer than eight points in the second half.  Click VIDEO to watch Ira Bowman's breakaway slam give Penn a 49-35 lead.
"IVY PLAYOFF" (Part III): Princeton 63, Penn 56 (OT) (March 9, 1996)
The Quakers discovered against Princeton that the road to the NCAA tournament is not paved with bricks.  The Quakers miserable shooting performance eventually sent them home as Penn fell to archrival Princeton, 63-56, in overtime. Penn's solid foul shooting, combined with the Tigers inability to put the game away, left the Quakers down only three points, 49-46, with 26 seconds remaining in the second half.  Although Penn never led in regulation, Ira Bowman swished a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game at 49 with 15 seconds left, extending the game to another time period.  In just under a minute into overtime, Quakers reserve forward Cedric Laster gave Penn its first lead of the game with a layup. And when center Steve Goodrich was called for his fifth foul trying to defend the shot, Laster hit the free throw, giving the Quakers a 52-51 lead with 4:02 left in overtime.  But that would be the high point of the game for Penn as things quickly went downhill.  Princeton guard Sydney Johnson broke a 54-54 deadlock with a three-pointer and two successful free throws on consecutive possessions. Johnson proceeded to steal the ball from Bowman to seal the win for the Tigers.  Click VIDEO to watch Ira Bowman's three-pointer send the game into overtime.

Princeton 74, Penn 69 (February 11, 1997)
When both teams headed to their locker rooms after the first 20 minutes of action, the Tigers were clinging to a shaky one-point lead over the Quakers, 31-30. But Princeton's offense, which had been stifled for most of the first half, suddenly caught lightning in a bottle and used a 16-3 run to end any realistic hopes of Penn winning a fifth consecutive Ivy League title.  The Tigers scored on their first eight possessions of the second half, which included five driving layups and two big three pointers. The Tigers' floor leader Sydney Johnson, who sat for most of the first half with three fouls, hit two of the Tigers' first three shots after intermission. Using his quickness, Johnson initially blew by junior Garett Kreitz for an inside score and then stole an errant pass from Michael Jordan and raced down court to add another easy deuce.  The second half onslaught by Princeton came at such a furious pace that by the time Penn had a chance to catch its breath, the Tigers' measly lead of one had ballooned to 12 points and later 20.  Click VIDEO to watch a George Mboya steal and length of the court drive for a slam.

Princeton 86, Penn 73 (March 4, 1997)
Helped out by a trio of early three-pointers, the Tigers jumped out to a 15-6 lead six minutes into the game. Penn answered with a 10-4 run, sparked by a four-point play from Jed Ryan and two driving layups from Garett Kreitz.  But Princeton responded with another run, this one 14-2 over four and a half minutes. It put the Tigers up 33-18 with five minutes left in the half, on the way to a 40-30 halftime lead.  Princeton gradually continued to build its lead as the second half opened, eventually holding a 56-39 advantage with 12:35 left in the game.  Nine straight points by Ryan and Paul Romanczuk helped trim the Quakers' deficit to 10 points. And with 6:16 left, a Kreitz free throw moved Penn to within 63-54. But the Red and Blue could move no closer, and two straight Princeton threes gave the Tigers a comfortable lead the rest of the way.  Click VIDEO to watch Geoff Owens' first half dunk off a nice feed from Michael Jordan.

"ONE BUCKET SHY OF EUPHORIA": Princeton 78, Penn 72 (OT) (March 3, 1998)
After a 13-point second-half comeback, the Penn men's basketball team finished a buzzer-beater shy of shocking No. 8-ranked Princeton.  It took a 78-72 overtime win in order for the Tigers (26-1 overall, 14-0 Ivy League) to hold onto their pristine Ivy record.  Penn had the opportunity to bring a much hyped Princeton team back down to earth in the final seconds of regulation.  After the Tigers' James Mastaglio missed the second of two foul shots with 12.1 seconds remaining, Penn's Matt Langel ripped down the rebound and dribbled across the half court line before passing the ball to Michael Jordan.  With approximately eight seconds remaining, Jordan shook loose from Tigers guard Gabe Lewullis, leaving him wide open for a three, which caught nothing but air.  The game went into overtime, where the Red and Blue ran out of gas.  Click VIDEO to watch Michael Jordan's three-point play give Penn its first lead of the game with 1:47 left in regulation.

"BLACK TUESDAY": Princeton 50, Penn 49 (February 9, 1999)
In one of the most incredible games in the history of college basketball, Penn used a 29-0 run to take a 33-9 halftime lead against dreaded Princeton at home, as the Quakers put on one of their most dominant performances in school history.  Cheers of "You've got three points" echoed around the Palestra for the first 15 minutes of this version of the fabled Penn-Princeton rivalry.  The Quakers extended their lead to 27 points, 40-13, early in the second half, but the Tigers scored 37 of the last 46 points.  The Tigers' Mason Rocca was the unlikely hero on the night, going 5-for-9 from the field, scoring 13 points.  With 2:14 remaining, the Tigers went on top on a Chris Young hook, 50-49, for the first time since the initial moments of the game.  Neither team would score again.  Matt Langel's final attempt rimmed out in the closing seconds, leaving Penn fans in unprecedented agony.  As painful as this game was for Penn fans, the Quakers still won the Ivy title.  Click VIDEO to watch Paul Romanczuk's three-point play, which gave Penn a 29-3 lead.

"KINGS OF THE COURT": Penn 73, Princeton 48 (March 2, 1999)
By defeating Princeton 73-48 at Jadwin Gymnasium, Penn won the Ivy League championship outright for the first time in four years.  The Tigers managed to stay even with the Quakers until Penn guard Michael Jordan drained a three-point shot at the end of the first half to put Penn up 29-26 -- a lead the Quakers never relinquished.  The Quakers started the second half with a 15-2 run and jumped out to a 44-28 lead with 12:20 to go in the game.  Slicing through the Princeton press, the Quakers took advantage of a series of easy buckets and increased their lead to 19 points with just six minutes to go. When Princeton coach Bill Carmody called a timeout with 5:46 remaining, even the Princeton faithful knew that their three-year stranglehold on the Ivy League title had disappeared. As waves of Tigers fans made their way to the exits, Penn held on to its lead -- eventually increasing it to 25 by making 8-of-9 foul shots in the final 3:15 of the game. Princeton center Chris Young, who led all scorers with 17 points, fouled out with 2:40 remaining as the vocal minority of Quakers fans in Jadwin Gymnasium began chanting "Ivy Champs." As time ran down, the Penn fans gathered behind the west basket and spilled out onto the Jadwin floor at the final buzzer. Before a dejected crowd of orange-and-black-clad Princeton supporters, members of the Penn team took turns cutting down the net in celebration.  Click VIDEO to watch the Quakers break the 26-26 tie with 12 straight points.

"UGONNA's 360": Penn 55, Princeton 46 (February 15, 2000)
Penn forward Ugonna Onyekwe spun full-circle in mid-air and slammed home a thunderous dunk to cap off a 55-46 Quakers victory and the Penn faithful stormed the floor of Jadwin Gymnasium.  The win was Penn's ninth straight and it gave the Quakers a two-game lead over Princeton with with seven games to go in the relatively weak conference.  Penn used a 14-0 first-half spurt, over a span of 9:21, to turn a 12-6 deficit into a 20-12 lead with 4:43 left in the half.  Down 25-18 at halftime, Princeton got its offense going early in the second half and closed within 38-36 on two consecutive shots in the paint by Mason Rocca.  After the teams traded baskets, Penn put the game away with seven straight points, the last five on a layup and three-pointer by Frank Brown, the bomb seemingly exploding Princeton's hopes for an Ivy League title with 4:38 to go.  Click VIDEO to watch Ugonna Onyekwe's 360-degree dunk that made the Sports Center highlights.

Penn 73, Princeton 52 (March 7, 2000)
Michael Jordan, in his 100th career start, played one of his finest games as a Quaker in his final contest in the Palestra to lead Penn over Princeton by 21 points, 73-52. Jordan scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting and also had three steals, three assists and six rebounds. It seemed whenever the Tigers would cut too much into Penn's lead, Jordan would knock down a big shot.  The win gave Penn its sixth perfect Ivy season in Quaker history, with four coming in the last eight years. Former Penn coach Dick Harter is the only other coach in Penn history to pull off the feat and he did it on two occasions. Penn finished the year with a 16-game winning streak and a 21-game Ivy winning streak. These two teams have met eight times in the final game of the year when one or the other has already clinched. The clinching team is 8-0 in the game.  Click VIDEO to watch Geoff Owens' slam dunk or click VIDEO to watch Michael Jordan's driving layup near the end of the first half.

"STAYIN' ALIVE": Penn 62, Princeton 38 (February 12, 2002)
The Quakers ventured to Jadwin Gym having lost two of their first five Ivy games of the season.  Penn needed a win against Princeton.  Any other result would effectively eliminate the Quakers from the Ivy title race.  Nothing like adversity to spur on a champion and the Quakers responded. Penn jumped out to a 24-3 lead with 8:37 left in the first half with help from all five starters and cruised to a 62-38 victory over Princeton.  Penn played incredible defense in the first 12 minutes of the game, forcing Princeton into several off-balance shots and a lot of fouls. The Tigers hit their first bucket at 16:51, but did not connect again until 8:22. Penn then held Princeton to under double-digits until the 5:43 mark (24-11). The Tigers scored their final points of the half with one minute to go to cut the lead to 16 (31-15), but three-pointers by Koko Archibong and Andrew Toole gave Penn a 37-15 lead at halftime.  Princeton began the second half with a quick bucket and Mike Bechtold hit a three and four straight free throws to pull Princeton within 16 at 11:11, but the Quakers were never really challenged and when Penn took a 25-point lead with 5:22 left in the game, many Princeton fans were already out the door.  Click VIDEO to watch Andy Toole's alley-oop pass to Ugonna Onyekwe.

"IVY LEAGUE TRIPLE PLAY": Penn 64, Princeton 48 (March 5, 2002)
Ugonna Onyekwe's slam with 1:47 remaining in regulation was the one that broke the Tigers back, as the Red and Blue came away with a 16-point decision in this must-win contest, 64-48, over visiting-Princeton at The Palestra. The fat lady officially began to sing as Dan Solomito followed up Onyekwe's dunk with a slam of his own to give the Red and Blue's it's largest lead of the contest at 18 points, 64-46, with 27 seconds remaining. The Palestra sellout crowd of 8,722 went into a frenzy with that score. The fans kept up almost the same frenetic pace that the teams did throughout the contest.  The victory forced a three-way tie for the Ancient Eight title, and a two-playoff game showdown for the right to represent the Ivy League in the NCAA Tournament.  Leading by six points, 42-36, with 7:20 remaining in the second half, Koko Archibong's blast from downtown at the top of the key ignited a 22-10 Penn run as the Red and Blue literally ran away with the contest in the final portion of the second half.  Click VIDEO to watch Ugonna Onyekwe's slam or VIDEO to watch Dan Solomito's dunk.

Penn 65, Princeton 55 (February 11, 2003)
The Quakers opened the scoring with a dunk by Ugonna Onyekwe, who finished the game with 22 points and 12 rebounds, just 40 seconds into the contest. When Onyekwe nabbed a steal and drove the lane for two with 1:12 remaining, Penn's lead was a first half-high 10 at 27-17, but Konrad Wysocki countered with a bucket and the Quakers took a 27-19 lead into halftime.  Penn pushed the lead back to 10 twice during the opening minutes of the second half, but a 13-1 Princeton run, capped off by a Kyle Wente three-pointer, gave the Tigers a 36-34 lead with 11:44 to go.  Penn was quick to counter with two free throws by senior David Klatsky. Princeton went back up one on a Wysocki free throw, 37-36, at 10:10 before Andy Toole found Onyekwe underneath and the Quakers took back the lead, 38-37. Toole hit a jumper, but Princeton connected on a three-pointer with 8:02 remaining to once again tie the contest at 40 with 8:02 remaining. The Quakers then turned up the heat on defense, and found their stroke from the free throw line. For the last eight minutes, the Quakers made 16 free throws en route to the win. Princeton never got closer than seven, 57-50, with 1:43 remaining.  Click VIDEO to watch Ugonna's slam or click VIDEO to watch his "block of the night".

"DAVID KLATSKY FROM HALF-COURT": Penn 74, Princeton 67 (March 11, 2003)
In the second half, Penn could not miss.  The Quakers even made a shot by accident.  With 10:15 remaining, Penn guard David Klatsky threw an outlet pass from half-court to a streaking Adam Chubb. Chubb never touched the ball, however -- it went straight through the net. Princeton guard Will Venable gave Klatsky a friendly punch and could only shake his head and chuckle.  It was just one of those nights for the Quakers.  Penn shot 73.7-percent from the field, including 6-for-6 from behind-the-arc, in the second half of its 74-67 victory at Princeton's Jadwin Gym. The win gave the Quakers a perfect record in the Ivy League, after having locked up the undisputed Ancient Eight crown three nights earlier at the Palestra.  Click VIDEO to watch David Klatsky swish a half-court pass.

Penn 67, Princeton 52 (February 10, 2004)
Jeff Schiffner scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the first half, Mark Zoller chipped in 16 points and five rebounds and Penn shot 63% in the first 20 minutes, and 9-for-15 from three-point range for the game, on the way to a 67-52 victory over Princeton before 6,104 at Jadwin Gym.  Schiffner scored five of his 16 first-half points in an 11-2 Penn run midway through the first half that turned a 14-12 Quaker lead into a 25-14 advantage after Eric Osmundson's three-pointer with 6:49 to go in the half.  Zoller then scored Penn's first four points of the second half, and Adam Chubb's dunk just 2:29 into the half gave the Quakers a 44-24 lead. Princeton got within 55-41 on Will Venable's three-point shot with 9:06 left in the second half, but the Quakers then scored eight consecutive points to take its biggest lead of the game, 63-41, on Schiffner's final three-pointer with 5:38 left.  Click VIDEO to watch Adam Chubb's slam dunk.

BEGLEY'S BUZZER-BEATER IN REGULATION: Princeton 76, Penn 70 (OT) (March 9, 2004)
Princeton's Judson Wallace scored 24 points and Andre Logan hit two key free throws in overtime as Princeton defeated Penn, 76-70.  Penn had a 54-47 lead with 7:17 left in regulation, but then went cold as Princeton went on a 14-3 run and moved ahead 61-57 on two free throws by Wallace.  Tim Begley made two free throws to bring Penn within two with 52 seconds left in regulation, and then found the basket on an incredible tip-in with half a second left in regulation to tie the score at 61 and send the game into overtime.  The Tigers built a 72-67 edge before Penn's Jeff Schiffner hit a three-pointer with 26 seconds left. Logan made two free throws five seconds later, then added two more with 1.7 seconds left for the final score.  Click VIDEO to watch the wild finish at the end of regulation.

"A MIRACLE WIN FOR PENN": Penn 70, Princeton 62 (OT) (February 8, 2005)
The Palestra, which has stood on its foundation for nearly 80 years and will continue for many more, may never see a better game.  Princeton stunned the Palestra crowd, shutting down the Quakers and going early and often to centers Judson Wallace and Mike Stephens to take a 53-35 lead with 7:35 to play.  But an 18-point lead soon became 17, then it was 15.  When Andre Logan took an ill-advised leap to block Eric Osmundson's three-pointer, the resulting four-point play gave Penn fans a drop of hope.  And what started as a drop would soon become a flood.  The lead kept shrinking:  nine, six, five, three, one...  After a Logan free throw brought Princeton's lead back to two, Osmundson knocked down the two biggest free throws of his career, tying the game with 31 seconds to go.  What the Quakers started in regulation, they emphatically finished in overtime.  Princeton had been defeated, the pain of "Black Tuesday" had been softened, and Penn fans were left wondering whether they will ever see another one like it.  Click VIDEO to watch highlights of Penn's miracle comeback.

Penn 64, Princeton 56 (March 8, 2005)
Tim Begley put Penn up, 32-28, with a three before Will Venable hit one of two shots from the charity stripe and the Quakers took a 32-29 lead into the locker room.  In the second half, the Quakers took an eight-point lead on an open three by Ibby Jaaber at the 8:42 mark, but Judson Wallace answered for the Tigers converting a three-point play. Venable chopped the lead to three, 50-47 with a lay up. After a six minute drought from the floor, Steve Danley put in two points and drew the foul for a three-point play and a 56-51 Penn lead.  After Wallace hit one of two attempts from the charity stripe, David Whitehurst hit a foul shot, Begley rebounded his second shot and tipped it out to Danley at the other end of the court which sent Jaaber to the foul line where he made both shots. Princeton then turned over the ball on their end of the court and Danley, standing under the basket, nailed a two-handed dunk, drew the foul and hit his free throw to give the Quakers the victory.  Head Coach Fran Dunphy recorded his eighth 20-win season.  Princeton finished the season with a 6-8 Ancient Eight record, which was their first losing record in the League in program history.  Click VIDEO to watch highlights, including Steve Danley's exclamation point -- a two-handed jam..

Penn 60, Princeton 41 (February 14, 2006)
Steve Danley scored 18 points and Ibrahim Jaaber added 17 as Penn overcame Princeton's definitive style to defeat the Tigers, 60-41. Mark Zoller scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds for the Quakers. Luke Owings had 18 points and Scott Greenman added 14 for the Tigers.  The game was tied 8-8 with 9:37 left in the first half when Zoller scored eight points in a 15-5 run that gave the Quakers a 23-13 halftime advantage. Penn led 32-20 with 13:24 left, and the Tigers got no closer than 40-30, on a three-point play by Owings, with 10:30 remaining. Jaaber made a layup, and Danley had two free throws as Penn pulled away.  Click VIDEO to watch Oz deliver the dagger following a Steve Danley rejection.

Princeton 60, Penn 59 (OT) (March 7, 2006)
Justin Conway scored 21 points, including the game-winning layup with 2.5 seconds remaining in overtime, as Princeton defeated Penn 60-59. Scott Greenman had dribbled down the right side and found Conway under the basket. Penn's David Whitehurst threw up a long three-pointer that fell short at the buzzer. Ibrahim Jaaber, who led all scorers with 26 points, had given Penn a 59-58 lead on a foul shot with nine seconds remaining. Penn rallied from an 18-point second-half deficit to tie the game on two foul shots by Jaaber with 24 seconds left. Jaaber, held scoreless until the closing seconds of the first half, gave Penn its first lead of the game when he made one of two foul shots to begin overtime. Penn later led 58-54, but Princeton tied the game on two free throws by Conway and a drive by Noah Savage. Princeton dominated in the first half and led by 18 points early in the second half before Penn shaved 16 points off the lead. The Tigers still led 49-42, on two free throws by Conway with 1:19 to go, before the Quakers finally tied the game at 50 on Jaaber's two free throws. Click VIDEO to watch highlights of Penn's comeback attempt.

 "IBBY'S EXCLAMATION-POINT SLAM": Penn 48, Princeton 35 (February 13, 2007)
Mark Zoller scored 17 points and Penn overcame Princeton's ball-control offense and defeated the Tigers, 48-35. Steve Danley and Ibrahim Jaaber each had eight points for the Quakers, while Jaaber, the career steals leader among all active Division I players, added six to raise his total to 285. Lincoln Gunn scored eight points for the Tigers, who made only 14-of-45 shots in losing for the seventh time in eight games. Princeton, which started three freshmen and never led in the game, worked the shot clock on just about every possession. The Tigers, who trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half, went on a 10-2 run at the start of the second half to tie the score at 29-29. But Penn scored 12 straight points, capped by a steal by Jaaber, whose slam dunk gave the Quakers a 41-29 lead with 5:10 to play. Princeton closed within 41-33 at the 3:09 mark, but seven straight points by the Quakers sealed the victory. Click VIDEO to watch. Ibby Jaaber's steal and exclamation-point slam dunk.

Penn 60, Princeton 47 (March 11, 2008)
Jack Eggleston scored 15 points to lead Penn over Princeton, 60-47, in their annual Ivy League finale. Nothing was at stake but pride this year as Princeton and Penn finished out unimpressive seasons. Zach Finley collected 13 points for Princeton as his team committed 20 turnovers. Tyler Bernardini scored 11 points for Penn -- all in the second half -- as the Quakers, who led by four at the half, gradually pulled away. Brian Grandieri contributed 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and three steals in his final Penn outing. This was the first season in 20 years that neither team walked away from their last matchup with the Ivy League title. Cornell won the league and represented the Ivies at the NCAA tournament. Click VIDEO to watch Jack Eggleston's and-one dunk give Penn an early 14-10 lead.