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A No. 15 seed is in the Sweet 16 for the third year running.
Princeton easily beat No. 7 Missouri, 78-63, to advance into the Sweet 16 on Saturday. The New Jersey Tigers led most of the game, retiring in the second half after Missouri tried to make it a contest.
Princeton is only the fourth No. 15 to make the Sweet 16. St. Peter’s was third in 2022 and became the first No.15 to make the Elite Eight when they defeated Purdue in the third round of the tournament. Oral Roberts was the second No. 15 to make the Sweet 16 in 2021.
The Ivy League champions were just 4-of-25 from the 3-point line in their upset win over No. 2 Arizona on Thursday. This performance was out of character for a disgruntled NCAA tournament. Massive underdogs usually win because they shoot well behind the bow.
Princeton reached the mean again on Saturday. The Tigers hit 12 3-pointers and ripped apart the Missouri zone in the second half. Blake Peters came off the bench and hit five 3-pointers while Ryan Langborg had 22 points to lead all scorers.
Missouri finished fourth in the SEC during the regular season and was best, scoring more than 65 points. Less than 65 points usually meant a loss. As a team, Mizzou shot less than 40% from the field and just 30% from deep.
Mizzou was also the worst rebounding team in the SEC and was dominated on the Princeton boards. Mizzou was passed by 16 as Princeton got a slew of second-chance opportunities down the offensive glass.
Biggest win by a No. 15 in the second round
Florida Gulf Coast became the first No. 15 to reach the Sweet 16 when they won two games in the 2013 NCAA tournament and was assisted by Oral Roberts eight years later before the Golden Eagles began that three-year streak.
Princeton’s lead over the win continued in the second round by five points, the widest of any No. 15 seed. In 2013, FGCU beat San Diego State by 10, Oral Roberts beat Florida by three, and St. Peter’s beat Murray State by 10 a season ago.
The win means Princeton is in the third round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1965. The Tigers made it into the Final Four this season after winning three games to win their region before losing to Michigan.
This Princeton team lost four games in the Ivy League regular season but was one of the best rebounding teams in the country. The Tigers ranked fourth in the nation in defensive rebound and 11th in total rebound, and that strength was one of the biggest differences on the court, though Princeton doesn’t make a significant contribution to 6-foot-8.
Missouri, on the other hand, ends the season with a 25-10 record after a strong first season under coach Dennis Gates. The Tigers were selected as one of the worst teams in the SEC, but had six Quad 1 wins according to the NCAA NET rankings.