NEWARK — Mitch Henderson and his players heard a lot about the two freshmen stars just a few miles up the road in Piscataway this week. He didn’t want to talk about that. He wanted to talk about his stars: Caden Pierce and Xaivian Lee. That duo combined for 42 points and Princeton beat Rutgers for a second straight season after Pierce converted the winning layup with 4.5 seconds left to cap a wild final sequence that ended with the Tigers celebrating an 83-82 victory on Saturday afternoon in the Never Forget Tribute Classic at the Prudential Center. “We can talk about them now,” Henderson said. “They were just terrific.” The incredible final sequence started with Princeton turning the ball over on an inbound pass — an uncharacteristic 14th of the game — and Ace Bailey knocking down a left-wing 3-pointer to put Rutgers up by one. The Tigers opted not to call a timeout and got Pierce isolated against Jordan Derkack. The reigning Ivy League Player of the Year backed his way into the lane — the Scarlet Knights didn’t help with outside shooters stationed on the perimeter — and scooped in a right-handed layup. Dylan Harper rushed down the court, but this time his last-ditch shot came up short. “I was just trying to make up for my turnover,” said Pierce, who finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds. “I looked up and there were 13 seconds on the clock and we’re in the bonus so I knew that with so many shooters around me, the lane was going to be pretty open.” Said Lee, who had 21 points and 11 assists: “A crazy end to the game. We turn it over and (Bailey) hit that 3 and we kind of knew that was going in when it went up. Right there we had to compose ourself and try to get a good shot. There were 12 or 13 seconds left and Cade made a play.” Caden Pierce #3 of the Princeton Tigers hits the game winning shot while being defended by Jordan Derkack #0 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the second half at Prudential Center on Dec. 21, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images) The 10,148 who showed up for the noon tip were treated to a terrific college basketball game. The game had 17 lead changes and neither side led by more than six at any point. “That was the coolest environment we played in this year so far,” Lee said. “The amount of energy in the building was unbelievable. It’s so easy to get up for games like that.” This was the 122nd all-time meeting between the programs and second straight season in which they met on a neutral floor (even though the crowd both times was partisan in scarlet). Princeton now leads the series, 77-45, and both coaches expressed a willingness to continue it. “We’d like it to be (a rivalry),” Pierce said. “I think this is just New Jersey basketball. I’m new to it, but the past two years this game has been electric. It’s been majority Rutgers fans, but we take that as a challenge and embrace it.” Harper and Bailey — the projected NBA lottery picks — finished with 22 and 15 points, respectively, for Rutgers (7-5). Bailey had the last five points for the Scarlet Knights, with his 3 capping a 7-0 spurt to take the lead. Blake Peters added nine points and a snuck in for a key offensive rebound with 23 seconds remaining to get Princeton (9-4) an extra possession. The Tigers also secured a top-100 victory — Rutgers was 85 in the NET — although the path to the NCAA Tournament is still the Ivy League Tournament. But this much was made clear: the best team in New Jersey wears orange and black. “What is Ivy League basketball? We just beat Rutgers … twice,” Henderson said. “You said this is the premier program Rutgers, so, yeah I feel that way (we are).” Xaivian Lee #1 of the Princeton Tigers passes the ball while being defended by Jeremiah Williams #25 of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights during the first half at Prudential Center on Dec. 21, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Getty Images)