PRINCETON, N.J. (Interstat) — In a game defined more by grit than grace, the Princeton Tigers used a dominant second half and a perfect afternoon at the free-throw line to pull away from the Brown Bears for a 63-53 victory in an Ivy League men’s basketball contest Saturday afternoon at Jadwin Gymnasium.

A crowd of 3,314 watched as Princeton, despite shooting just 30.4% from the field, outscored Brown 36-26 after halftime to break open a game that was tied 27-27 at intermission. The most decisive factor was an extraordinary disparity at the charity stripe, where Princeton made all 22 of its attempts while Brown managed only 9 of 13.

The game’s pivotal stretch came midway through the second half. With Brown clinging to a 36-34 lead following a Landon Lewis layup with just over 10 minutes to play, the Tigers unleashed a 15-0 run over the next four minutes that effectively decided the contest. The surge was fueled by defensive pressure and relentless execution at the line.

Princeton guard Dalen Davis, a sophomore from Chicago, ignited the run with a 3-pointer to give the Tigers the lead for good. After a Brown turnover, Jackson Hicke drew a foul and sank two free throws. Following another Brown miscue, Davis found Jack Stanton for another 3-pointer. The run continued with Davis and Hicke combining for seven more points from the line, capped by a technical foul free throw from Davis, pushing the Princeton advantage to 49-36 with 6:12 remaining. Brown never recovered, getting no closer than nine points the rest of the way.

Hicke, a 6-foot-5 junior from Radnor, Pennsylvania, was the game’s standout performer, posting a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds in 35 minutes. He was instrumental throughout, particularly during the clinching run, and added two steals. Davis led all scorers with 22 points, including a 10-for-10 performance from the free-throw line, and added five rebounds and three assists.

For Brown, which fell to 6-11 overall, the offensive struggles were comprehensive. The Bears shot 32.8% from the field and a frigid 20% from 3-point range. They managed only four assists against 10 turnovers, leading to a stagnant offensive rating of 76.6 points per 100 possessions.

Lewis, a 6-foot-7 sophomore from Los Angeles, led Brown with 13 points, nine rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Jeremiah Jenkins, a freshman guard from New Britain, Connecticut, contributed 10 points, six rebounds and six assists, but also committed six of Brown’s turnovers. The Bears did find success inside, outscoring Princeton 30-14 in the paint and blocking eight shots, but it was not enough to overcome their perimeter woes and Princeton’s free-throw parade.

The first half was a slog, with both teams combining to shoot under 32% from the field. Brown built an early 6-2 lead, but Princeton responded with an 11-2 spurt to go ahead 13-8. The Bears clawed back, and the half ended fittingly on a Isaiah Langham layup just before the buzzer to knot the score.

The victory improved Princeton’s record to 7-13. Both teams entered the game seeking to rebound from road losses in their previous outings.

Statistically, the game was an oddity. Princeton won despite being outshot from the field, outrebounded on the offensive glass, and outscored in the paint. The Tigers compensated by forcing 14 fast-break points to Brown’s six, scoring 10 points off turnovers to Brown’s five, and, most definitively, by creating a 22-point advantage at the free-throw line.

Brown will look to regroup when it hosts Harvard next Friday. Princeton continues its homestand, also next Friday, against Cornell.