UC great Alec Pierce's brother helped lead Princeton to upset win over Arizona

Former University of Cincinnati Bearcats and current Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce isn't the only star athlete in his family.

Pierce's younger brother, Caden, a freshman forward at Princeton University, scored two clutch free throws in No. 15 seed Princeton's first round NCAA Tournament upset win over No. 2 seed Arizona on Thursday.

With 21 seconds left, the 2023 Ivy League Rookie of the Year gave the Tigers a 3-point lead. Arizona then missed a pair of 3-point attempts on the other end, and Princeton won 59-55, clinching a spot in the round of 32 and a matchup with No. 7 seed Missouri.

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The victory was Princeton's first NCAA Tournament win in 25 years, according to ESPN. It was also the first win for an Ivy League team since 2016, when Yale defeated Baylor.

A No. 2 seed has only lost to a No. 15 seed 11 times in tournament history, per ESPN. Arizona is the only program to have been upset as a No. 2 seed twice, losing to Santa Clara in 1993.

Caden, a native of Glen Ellyn, Illinois, played 34 minutes Thursday, recording six points and eight rebounds. He is averaging 8.3 points and 7.1 rebounds this season.

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Alec was one of the top receivers in UC history, ranking 15th all time in career receiving yards with 1,834, and he helped lead the Bearcats to a College Football Playoff appearance during the 2021 season.

After graduating in December 2021 with a mechanical engineering degree, Alec went to the Colts in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: March Madness: Princeton's Caden Pierce is brother of this NFL player