Bell ’18, Men’s Basketball Split Weekend Set Against Harvard and Dartmouth

After staying close with Harvard but ultimately coming up short in Friday’s 75-72 loss, Princeton men’s basketball knew it needed to come back strong on Saturday as they took on Dartmouth for the second half of an important weekend in Ivy League play. The Tigers rose to the occasion, beating Dartmouth 64-53 to return to a winning record in league play.

“[We had the] luxury of getting the chance to play again, which we were very happy to do,” Head Coach Mitch Henderson ’98 said after the Dartmouth game. “I did not think last night was a great showing for us, so I’m pleased with the win, very happy for these guys and getting ready for a huge stretch of games here coming up.”

The first half of Saturday’s game echoed Friday night’s, with Dartmouth playing the role that Princeton had against the Crimson — constantly trailing, but within striking distance. The Tigers went into halftime up by nine. Dartmouth cut the lead to five after halftime, but the Tigers would rally to lead by as many as 17 and win by 11.

Spencer Weisz ’17 led Princeton with 16 points. Amir Bell ’18 had an impressive all-around game, finishing with seven rebounds, four assists, and four points.

“Amir Bell had one hell of a game defensively,” Weisz said of his teammate. “Coming in as a freshman, he’s been playing great for us and to stop one of the best shooters in the league [the Big Green’s Alex Mitola] … is just a great benefit for us.”

Though new to the team, Bell has been a key contributor, starting all 19 games. Henderson said he has noticed significant growth in Bell’s play.

“He has learned how to not foul,” he said. “He’s really got in a lot of foul trouble early. He’s still really ultra aggressive … but his teammates have started to really look for him and trust him with the ball in his hands.”

Sophomore forward Pete Miller, another key addition to the starting lineup, said that the weekend split was key to keeping Princeton’s Ivy title hopes on track. “We needed the win,” he said after the Dartmouth game. “We knew after last year, we lost the Harvard Dartmouth weekend and we knew that just puts you in a big hole. So we knew coming into this one that we had to get back on track after last night.”

Quick Takes

Women’s basketball, ranked No. 19 in last week’s AP poll, lived up to its reputation in road games at Harvard and Dartmouth. A second-half surge led the Tigers to a 96-46 win over the Crimson. Against Dartmouth, Princeton made 69 percent of its first-half shots and never looked back, winning 83-65 to improve to 19-0 this season.

Women’s squash topped Yale 5-4 on Sunday, its first victory over a top-4 team since its 2013 Ivy Championship season. Though the win probably will not get the Tigers back in the Ivy race, it does give them momentum going into Howe Cup weekend Feb. 13-15.

Men’s squash lost to Yale 6-3 on Sunday, despite victories in the top two spots. Seniors Samuel Kang and Tyler Osborne as well as sophomore Ben Leizman scored victories for the Tigers in the loss.

Men’s swimming and diving placed second at the H-Y-P meet, losing to Harvard 190-163, but getting the win over Yale 267.5-85.5. All three teams are still considered contenders for the Ivy League title, which will be decided in the Ivy Championship meet held at Denunzio Pool in three weeks.Women’s swimming and diving tied Harvard, 150-150, and beat Yale in an H-Y-P meet that came down to the final relay event.