TECH JOB: Princeton University men’s basketball player Pete Miller heads to the hoop last week against Penn. Junior forward Miller chipped in nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds to help Princeton pull out a 72-71 win over the Quakers. The victory improved the Tigers to 22-6 overall and 12-2 Ivy League. Princeton learned Sunday night that it had received a bid to the NIT (National Invitation Tournament) where it is a six seed and will play at third-seeded Virginia Tech (19-14 overall and 10-8 in the ACC) in Blacksburg, Va. on March 16 in an opening round contest. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Hosting Penn in its regular season finale last week, the Princeton University men’s basketball team appeared to be on cruise control.

The Tigers led 53-36 with 10:59 left in regulation and the crowd of 2,464 at Jadwin Gym was getting listless as Princeton seemingly toyed with Penn.

But a scrappy Quaker team turned the March 8 contest into a rough ride for Princeton, going on a 35-19 run to narrow the Tiger lead to 72-71 and getting one last possession with a chance to pull out the win. Princeton, though, held the fort, making a stop in the final sequence, improving to 22-6 overall and 12-2 Ivy League.

Afterward, a relieved Princeton head coach Mitch Henderson tipped his hat to Penn.

“I said to coach (Steve) Donahue after the game, we should have gone down both games to Penn,” said Henderson, whose team rallied to edge the Quaker 73-71 in overtime in Philadelphia on January 9.

“We were really fortunate in the first game, we made some really big plays. Tonight they were terrific;  I thought it was really hard to guard them. They made all the right decisions down the stretch.”

While Princeton fell just short of an Ivy title down the stretch as a 73-71 loss at Harvard on March 4 ended up being a decisive factor in the Tigers finishing one game behind Yale in the Ivy title race, Henderson was confident that his squad earned the right to take part in the postseason.

“We capped off what I think is a very good year and we are hopeful to keep playing,” said Henderson. “We really want to keep playing.”

Henderson and the Tigers got their wish as they learned Sunday night that they had received a bid to the NIT (National Invitation Tournament) where they are a six seed and will play at third-seeded Virginia Tech (19-14 overall, 10-8 ACC) in Blacksburg, Va. on March 16 in an opening round contest.

It is Princeton’s sixth appearance in the NIT and first since 2002. The Tigers were last in the postseason in 2014, when they advanced to the quarterfinals of the CBI (College Basketball Invitational) with a win over Tulane before falling to Fresno State. The winner of the Princeton-Virginia Tech contest will face the victor of the clash between second-seeded BYU and seventh-seeded Alabama-Birmingham in the second round.

“We are very happy to be in the NIT and to continue our great year together,” said Henderson, as quoted on the Princeton sports website. “I’m excited for our team as we head on the road to play a strong Virginia Tech team.”

Princeton junior Pete Miller and his teammates learned a valuable lesson they can use in the postseason from surviving a strong challenge from Penn.

“Those guys are really scrappy; they are good and they don’t give up at all,” said Miller.

“It was the same thing in the first game, we were up big in the first half and they just didn’t go away. I think they are always going to keep going, we just have to know that they are not going to stop.”

The Tigers have proven tough to stop in Princeton, going 13-0 at home this season to set a new program mark for most home wins without a loss in a season.

“We really like playing in front of the crowd at Jadwin,” said Miller, who drew plenty of cheers on the evening as he chipped in nine points and a game-high 10 rebounds in the win over Penn. “It is a special place; to win games here and make our fans happy is everything to us.”

Miller and his teammates are happy to be heading to the postseason. “Obviously last Friday night was really tough for us, I think we are still feeling the effects of the ripple down,” said Miller, referring to the disappointing loss to Harvard.

“We are going to rally this week, get our morale back up, and just keep going because we think we can make a run in a postseason tournament.”

In Henderson’s view, his squad has the potential to do some damage in the NIT.

“I am hopeful that we can flush whatever just happened as fast as possible and grow and get better and ask more of ourselves because there is a lot left in this team,” said Henderson.

“We have to redefine what we are all about here going forward and what our resolve is like.”