Xaivian Lee saves the day for Princeton men’s basketball on opening night

By Lou Monaco

PRINCETON, N.J. — The college basketball season tipped off Monday and if the Iona at Princeton game is any indication of what this season might be…

Oh boy!

Junior guard Xaivian Lee scored a game-high 27 points, including the game-winning free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining to lift Princeton to an 81-80 come-from-behind victory over Iona at historic Jadwin Gymnasium in the season-opener for both schools.

“I was worried at halftime just because we weren’t competing, myself included,” Lee said. “I didn’t doubt that we were going to win or lose the game. I told Cade (Pierce) that we may get punched in the face, but we’re always going to have a chance to win. That’s how I feel in any game.

“I was trying to get downhill,” Lee said. “There wasn’t much of a play there, but in that situation we try and get something at the rim. I had a similar situation in the first half and I took a step back and coach told me you got to get to the rim there.”

Down 77-73 with 2:51 remaining, Lee hit a 3-pointer with 2:32 left to pull the Tigers within one and then gave them the lead at 78-77 on a layup with 58.4 seconds left. Junior forward Caden Pierce hit 1-of-2 free throws with 33.1 seconds for a 79-77 lead, but Iona senior forward Clarence Rupert grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback and foul for a 3-point play, giving Iona an 80-79 lead with 15 seconds left before Lee’s heroics.

“Every day at the of practice we shoot free throws for 10 minutes. I tried to pretend it was an empty gym, took my time and thankfully they went in.”

Hear from @xaivianlee after the Tigers’ opening night W!#MakeShots 🐯🏀 pic.twitter.com/2jhHuSQB71

— Princeton Men’s Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) November 5, 2024

Iona had one last shot to take the lead, but senior guard DeJour Reaves missed a jumper as time expired.

Pierce played all 40 minutes for the Tigers, posting 18 points, nine rebounds and six assists and freshman forward Jacob Huggins added 12 points going 6-for-6 from the field. Sophomore guard Dalen Davis chipped in with 10 points with two 3-pointers for the Tigers.

In the first half, Princeton had no answers for Iona’s relentless defense as the pesky Gaels (picked to finish third in the MAAC) took a 49-37 halftime advantage led by freshman guard Adam Njie, Jr.’s 13 points. Pierce led Princeton (1-0) with 11 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Njie, Jr. finished with 19 points, hitting three 3-pointers, to lead Iona (0-1). Senior forward Clarence Rupert posted 15 points and Reaves contributed 12.

Princeton improved to 9-1 over Iona and 4-0 at home in the all-time series, which was their 10 meeting.

FINAL | Princeton 81, Iona 80

The Tigers overcome a 16-point deficit to take down the Gaels on opening night!@xaivianlee makes the game-winning free throws and finishes with a game-high 27 points, six assists and four rebounds!#MakeShots 🐯🏀 pic.twitter.com/J52tHEweVq

— Princeton Men’s Basketball (@PrincetonMBB) November 5, 2024

Next up for Princeton

Vs. Duquesne at 8:30 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8 at the 2024 Deborah Heart and Lung Center Jersey Jam at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, N.J.

Next up for Iona

At Hofstra, 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 8.

Tickets can be purchased by the general public on Ticketmaster.com. Princeton alumni and fans will have the opportunity to purchase directly through the Princeton Athletics Ticket Office, in the designated Tigers sections later this August.

Princeton defeated Rutgers 68-61 in the first Deborah Heart and Lung Center Jersey Jam in 2023. Princeton, Duquesne, Temple, and Monmouth will play in a doubleheader in the second edition of the event.

To receive updates on this year’s event follow @jerseyjambball on Twitter and Instagram (@jerseyjambball).

Below are the matchups for the event:

Princeton vs. Duquesne
Temple vs. Monmouth

Princeton: Head Coach: Mitch Henderson (Ivy League)
Mitch Henderson returns for a 13th season with the Tigers where he has posted a 232-122 (.655) record. Princeton looks to win a fourth consecutive Ivy League regular season title in 2024-25. The Tigers Xaivian Lee and Caden Piercehighlight the returners for Princeton this season, both of which played important roles in the Tigers win at the 2023 Deborah Heart and Lung Center Jersey Jam.

Duquesne: Head Coach: Dru Joyce III (Atlantic 10 Conference)
Joyce III takes over for Keith Dambrot after spending two seasons as Associate Head Coach for the Dukes. Last season, the Dukes won the Atlantic 10 tournament and advanced to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Duquesne returns two starters from last year’s team and brings in seven transfers in the hopes of building on last year’s momentum.

Temple: Head Coach: Adam Fisher (American Athletic Conference)
Adam Fisher enters his second season at Temple. Fisher won 16 games in his first season which included a run to the American Athletic Conference championship game in March. Jamal Mashburn Jr. and Lynn Greer III highlight an impressive Temple transfer class looking to build in year 2 under Adam Fisher.

Monmouth: Head Coach: King Rice (Colonial Athletic Association)
King Rice enters his 14th season in charge of the Hawks. Rice has posted a 207-208 (.499) record in his 13 years as head coach and won three regular season conference championships. The Hawks hope to build off a winning season in 2023-24 and emerge to the top of the CAA.

About the Gazelle Group
The Gazelle Group is a sports marketing firm, specializing in event production and management, client representation, and sponsorship consulting. Gazelle produces numerous nationally recognized college sports events, such as the Empire Classic, Legends Classic, Gotham Classic, Holiday Hoopfest,  Sunshine Slam, College Basketball Invitational, Kwik Trip Holiday Face-Off, Boardwalk Battle, and Jersey Jam as well as on-campus events at Duke, Kentucky, Ohio State, Marquette and other institutions across the country. For more information on the Gazelle Group, please visit www.gazellegroup.com.