Penn men’s and women’s hoops both drop regular-season finales to Princeton
A win on Saturday or a Brown loss would have clinched Ivy Madness for the Quakers. Neither happened, but the numbers still in Penn’s favor to lock up the last spot in the Ivy tournament
Fourteen.
That’s how many straight losses Penn has suffered to Princeton in women’s basketball, a streak spanning back to 2019.
On Saturday, the Quakers fell to Princeton once more following a 67-53 final. Penn (15-12, 6-8 Ivy) buried itself early and was ultimately unable to come back despite a double-double effort from senior forward Stina Almqvist, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“[Seniors] Stina and Lizzy [Groetsch], didn’t get a chance to beat [Princeton],” said coach Mike McLaughlin. “Not didn’t get a chance — they had a chance. It definitely takes space up a little bit [in their minds]. But I think it shows these younger kids what level they need to get to.
A win Saturday or a loss by Brown (12-15, 6-8) would have clinched Ivy Madness outright for the Quakers. Neither happened, but the numbers are still in Penn’s favor to lock up the last spot in the Ivy tournament.
After Brown’s 53-44 victory over Yale (4-23, 3-11), the Quakers and the Bears have six conference wins apiece. With this, the fourth seed in the Ivy tournament will be decided by NET rankings as the two teams split their season series and have identical records against common opponents.
The Quakers currently hold a 162-to-184 advantage in the NET. Barring an improbable jump Sunday morning, Penn will be tournament-bound after starting Ivy play 2-6.
“I mean, I’m a statistics major,” joked Almqvist after the game. “I’ve been following NET rankings all season, so I think it’s in our favor. It’s all good teams [at the top of the conference].”
Added McLaughlin: “[After] the last three weekends, they’re emotionally spent from chasing the standings and knowing what’s really important. That’s why this Ivy playoff has brought so much excitement. There’s a level of commitment they’ve made the last four or five weeks.”
Penn men share a similar fate against the Tigers
While the women’s team faced the Tigers at the Palestra, the men’s program traveled to Princeton looking to snap a losing streak of its own. Going into Saturday, the Quakers had lost 12 straight games to Princeton.
However, despite a 19-point effort from sophomore guard Sam Brown, Penn suffered a 95-71 road loss, extending its winless streak to 13 against Princeton (19-10, 8-6) and leveled the all-time series at 126-126.
This marks the first time since 1905 that the Quakers (8-19, 4-10) did not hold the advantage in the rivalry.
Additionally, for the second year in a row, there will be no Ivy Madness for the Penn men again, from a season-ending defeat at the hands of the Tigers.