In December, undefeated Princeton handed Rutgers their first loss.[5] The team posted a 24–3 overall record and a 14–0 conference record using the Princeton offense.[6] When the team beat Yale 55–27 on January 11, 1991, it established a new National Collegiate Athletic AssociationDivision I record for fewest points allowed (since 1986), breaking its own record set the prior year. The record would last until March 2, 1992.[7] On February 8, 1991, against Cornell, Sean Jackson made all five of his three-point field goal attempts, which tied the Ivy League single-game record for most made without a miss set three years earlier by Princeton Tigers Dave Orlandini and Bob Scrabis.[8] These stood as unsurpassed as the Ivy League record until future Princeton Tigers head coach Sydney Johnson made all six for Princeton on February 28, 1997.[8] In a March 15, 1991 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament East Regional first-round game at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York, against the Villanova Wildcats, they lost by a 50–48 margin.[3][4][9] The Tigers led 30–25 at halftime, but lost on a shot in the final second of regulation play.[10][11][12] Princeton's number eight seed was a record for the highest seed by an Ivy League school at the time.[13] During the undefeated conference game season, Jackson established the Ivy League single-season conference games record with 56 three-point field goals made, which stood at least 25 seasons.[14]
During the season, the team spent six weeks (one week in mid December and the final five weeks of the season) of the seventeen-week season ranked in the Associated Press Top Twenty-five Poll, peaking at number eighteen where it ended the season.[15] The team finished the season ranked twentieth in the final UPI Coaches' Poll.[16] The team completed the first undefeated Ivy season by any team since the 1975–76 Princeton Tigers men's basketball team.[17]
The team was led by first team All-Ivy League selections Jackson and Mueller, who repeated as the Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year while earning first team Academic All-America recognition from College Sports Information Directors of America.[4] Mueller shot 62.5% on his field goals to earn the third of three Ivy League statistical championships for field goal percentage.[18] Jackson led the Ivy League in three point shooting percentage in conference games with a 55.4% average and established the Ivy League single-season record for conference games with 56 made.[8][18] The team won the third of twelve consecutive national statistical championships in scoring defense with a 48.9 points allowed average.[19]
Schedule and results
The team posted a 24–3 (14–0 Ivy League) record.[20]
