NEW YORK (Interstat) — On a night when its offense finally clicked with ruthless efficiency, the Princeton men’s basketball team delivered a statement performance, upending the Ivy League standings with a convincing 80-68 victory over Columbia on Saturday at Levien Gymnasium.

The Tigers, who entered the game with a 7-14 record and near the bottom of the conference, shot a blistering 57% from the field and 53% from three-point range to hand the Lions just their seventh loss of the season. The win was engineered by a career-high 21 points from guard Jack Stanton and a dominant second-half surge that broke open a game tied at halftime.

For 20 minutes, the contest was a tense, back-and-forth affair. Both teams traded baskets and entered the locker room knotted at 34. Columbia’s interior presence, led by Mason Ritter’s 11 first-half points, matched Princeton’s perimeter attack. The Tigers, however, were just warming up.

The most important part of the game unfolded decisively after the break. Princeton emerged from halftime with a renewed offensive purpose, immediately going on a 12-4 run to seize control. The Tigers scored 46 points in the second half, shooting 64% from the floor, while Columbia’s offense stagnated, managing only 34 points on 35% shooting.

Princeton’s offensive rating of 129.1, fueled by that scorching efficiency, starkly contrasted with Columbia’s 97.0. The Tigers committed only eight turnovers and dished out 18 assists on 28 made field goals, showcasing a level of offensive cohesion that had been elusive for much of their season.

Stanton, a sophomore from Downers Grove, Illinois, was the catalyst. After scoring a combined 13 points over his previous three games, he erupted for 21 points, including five three-pointers, to go with four assists and a block in 38 minutes. His back-to-back threes late in the first half kept Princeton afloat, and his continued sharp shooting in the second half helped extend the lead.

He was far from alone. Jackson Hicke added 18 points, and Malik Abdullahi provided a powerful inside presence with 15 points, two blocks, and several key defensive stands. Landon Clark contributed 11 points, and the Princeton bench, led by CJ Happy’s early spark, outscored Columbia’s reserves.

Columbia, which fell to 14-7, was led by Kenny Noland’s 20 points. Ritter finished with 11 points and nine rebounds, but the Lions struggled mightily from deep, connecting on just 7 of 28 three-point attempts. They also hurt themselves at the free-throw line, making only 7 of 17 attempts. While they won the offensive rebounding battle 11-5, they could not convert those extra chances efficiently enough to keep pace with Princeton’s offensive onslaught.

The Tigers’ defense was equally pivotal, recording seven blocks and disrupting Columbia’s rhythm. A key sequence midway through the second half saw Princeton turn a 45-42 lead into a 55-45 advantage, fueled by stops and transition baskets, essentially putting the game out of reach.

A late technical foul on the Columbia bench with 5:24 remaining and Princeton leading 56-54 allowed Stanton to sink two free throws, part of a larger 9-0 run that pushed the lead to 63-54 and effectively sealed the outcome. The Lions would get no closer than seven points the rest of the way.

The announced crowd of 1,826 saw Princeton improve to 8-14 overall and secure a crucial road win in conference play. Columbia, which had been projected as a 56% favorite by Interstat’s ELO system, fell to 14-7.

Princeton will look to build on this performance when it travels to Penn on Feb. 7. Columbia will aim to rebound at home against Cornell on the same date. The two teams will meet again in a rematch at Princeton on Feb. 14.