PRINCETON, N.J. (Interstat) — In a rematch of a tightly contested game from just over a month prior, the Princeton Tigers exacted a measure of revenge, outlasting the Vermont Catamounts 75-69 in overtime Tuesday afternoon in a non-conference men’s basketball clash at a raucous Jadwin Gymnasium.

The game, played before an announced crowd of 2,816, was a back-and-forth affair that required an extra five minutes to decide after the teams finished regulation knotted at 63. Princeton, which had lost to Vermont 79-74 on its home floor on Nov. 26, improved to 4-11 overall with the victory. Vermont, which had won the first meeting, fell to 8-7.

The most critical phase of the contest unfolded in the overtime period, where Princeton’s defense clamped down and its offense executed with precision. After Vermont’s TJ Long, who finished with a game-high 30 points, tied the game at 63 with a layup in the final seconds of regulation, the Tigers seized control in the extra session.

Princeton scored the first six points of overtime, a run punctuated by a Malik Abdullahi alley-oop dunk off a feed from Jackson Hicke. Vermont, which managed only six points in the extra period and shot 2-for-9 from the floor, could not mount a response. The Catamounts went scoreless for the first three and a half minutes of overtime, missing their first five shots and committing two turnovers as the Tigers built an insurmountable lead.

Princeton’s victory was a collective effort, with four players scoring in double figures. Hicke, a 6-foot-5 guard from Radnor, Pennsylvania, led the Tigers with 17 points, six rebounds and five assists in a game-high 45 minutes. His backcourt mate, Jack Stanton of Downers Grove, Illinois, added 19 points and five assists. Abdullahi, a 6-foot-7 forward from Miami, provided 15 points and five rebounds, while Landon Clark of Bangor, Maine, posted a strong all-around line of 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

Vermont was carried by the stellar performance of Long, who played 38 minutes and added nine rebounds to his 30-point outburst. His backcourt partner, TJ Hurley of Pelham, Canada, contributed 10 points and five rebounds. Gus Yalden, a 6-foot-9 forward from Appleton, Wisconsin, was a force inside for the Catamounts, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and dishing out four assists before fouling out late in regulation.

The game’s flow was established early, with Princeton taking a 36-32 lead into halftime behind efficient offense. The Tigers stretched their lead to as many as 11 points in the second half, but Vermont chipped away with relentless defense and timely shooting from Long. The Catamounts finally drew even in the final minute of regulation, setting the stage for the decisive overtime.

Princeton shot the ball more effectively from the field and capitalized at the free-throw line, particularly in overtime where they made 6 of 8 attempts. Vermont struggled from three-point range throughout the afternoon, a factor that proved costly in the extra period when they desperately needed outside shots to fall.

The win provides a positive note for Princeton as it heads into Ivy League play next week. The Tigers will host Penn on Monday. Vermont, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped, will look to rebound as it opens America East Conference action on the road at New Hampshire on Saturday.

According to Interstat’s ELO system, Princeton had a 52.90 percent probability to win pregame, a slight edge that held true. Vermont had been installed as a narrow 1.5-point favorite by oddsmakers. The total score of 144 surpassed the over/under line of 138.