Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Pawel Buczak, Dan Mavraides & Marcus Schroeder:
On Friday night, Princeton finished their decisive victory over Cornell by not permitting the Big Red to score a field goal in the final 7:05 of the second half.
The Tigers picked right up where they left off on the defensive end Saturday against Columbia, as the Lions went the first 9:05 of the game without a point.
A decisive defensive effort by Princeton's big men shut down Columbia in the post and the Tigers cruised to a surprisingly easy 63-35 win, the team's seventh straight.
It was Princeton's largest margin of victory over a D-I opponent since 2003, when the Tigers defeated UMBC, 76-43.
The combined lockdown of Cornell and Columbia (76 combined points) totalled the fewest points allowed over an Ivy weekend versus Princeton since 1984, also against the Big Red and Lions (71 combined points).
"We were very attentive [on defense]," said Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson. "We really knew that we were going to have to lock in. We were emotionally up for the game and that was important, especially following last night."
Backup center Zach Finley scored 11 points in 14 minutes to lead the Tigers, reaching double figures for the first time this season.
No Columbia player finished with more than two field goals.
Compare the numbers for each team's big men, and make sure to factor in that Columbia's Jason Miller had a career-best 21 points and 10 rebounds at The Palestra.
Zach Finley and Pawel Buczak - 6-8 shooting. 7-8 free throws. 19 points, 16 rebounds, four blocks, two steals.
Jason Miller and Zach Crimmins - 3-12 shooting. 3-5 free throws. Nine points. Seven rebounds.
Buczak drove right around Miller the second time Princeton had the basketball for two off glass. Then Buczak blocked Miller standing flat-footed to set the tone for the night. The Lions were unable to stop Princeton isolated in the post and if Columbia was fortunate enough to have their entry passes reach intended targets (the Tigers snatched 10 steals), Finley and Buczak stood tall and did not allow themselves to be backed down or overpowered inside.
"It was something we focused on when we were preparing for Columbia and we did a good job of not letting them get the ball in, and the times when they did, not giving them any easy shots," assessed Buczak when asked about the work he and Finley did at the defensive end.
Kareem Maddox drove to his left and scored on Asenso Ampim to put Princeton up 4-0.
Creating space off the dribble, Marcus Schroeder connected from outside at the 15:55 mark. The basket gave Schroeder unreal 11-17 shooting numbers from three point range for the season (64.7%).
Two Patrick Saunders free throws made the score 9-0 and Princeton might have been up by a more significant margin if not for six turnovers in the game's first 10 minutes.
A drive by Patrick Foley with 10:55 on the clock finally got Columbia on the board and Crimmins banged inside for a hoop to bring Columbia back within five.
Schroeder attacked the lane and kicked left to an open Mavraides for three. Schroeder and Mavriades continue to have excellent chemistry, chemistry that has developed since both entered the starting lineup on December 30th at Lafayette.
"Dan hits really big shots for us and he makes all of his wide open shots," Schroeder said of his teammate. "When I go in and drive, I look for my own shot, but [when the defense collapses], for some reason Dan is always right there. Dan seems to be there more often than not."
Buczak backed down Crimmins for two and the lead was 10.
Princeton isolated Buczak in the paint again and he was fouled by a reaching Steve Egee as he went up with the ball. Buczak was true two times at the stripe and the Tigers were in front 21-11.
Add in a deep jump hook by Saunders, a circling drive by Kareem Maddox and Zach Finley's spin move that left Miller in the dust and Princeton had a sixteen point halftime lead.
The Tigers had just one assist and nine turnovers before intermission.
Princeton neutralized Columbia on defense. The visitors from New York shot just 16.7% from the floor in the opening frame (5-30). Jason Miller had the only basket by a Lion starter in the first half.
"We stuck to our game plan," said Schroeder. "We guarded their shooters and we forced them baseline. We did a good job doing that."
"Defense is how we're going to win games," added Mavraides. "I feel like holding a team [to 11 first half points], and limiting their offense is definitely more frustrating for them and gets under their skin."
The Lions had the ball when play resumed and Niko Scott promptly dribbled the ball off his foot and was beaten into the backcourt by Schroeder as both raced for the loose ball. Instead of a backcourt violation, Princeton got a breakway layup by Douglas Davis, as Schroeder touched the ball first and then collided with Scott, taking both men out of the picture, leaving Davis with no impedance between the ball and the basket.
The Lions tried to extend a zone defense against Princeton's half court sets and press the Tigers full court to create turnovers, but Princeton gave the ball away just four times in the second half and were not particularly bothered by what Columbia was trying to do.
Leading 29-15, Schroeder lobbed a backdoor for Maddox cutting on the left side, Buczak stole Kevin Bulger's entry pass at one end and banked home a perfectly placed entry bounce pass from Nick Lake at the other. A cross-court pass from Schroeder to Lake in front of the Princeton bench left the Princeton co-captain wide open for three. Princeton was up 21 and Columbia did not challenge.
John Comfort, who had not seen court time since Ivy play began, came off the bench with 15:05 left. Max Huc followed eight minutes later and he would soon be joined by reserves Bobby Foley and Michael Strittmatter as every Tiger in uniform saw action and every Tiger who attempted a field goal scored.
The lead reached an apex of 31 with 1:40 to go when Foley put back Lake's missed three on the weak side.
Princeton had completely outclassed Columbia and showed their coach that they knew how to respond to success.
"I've seen them work in practice and just be committed," said Johnson of his team. "We talk a lot about carrying our own weight, doing that on a daily basis. I just want to make sure that we're about what we're talking about. That's were not just 'hey we're good, we feel like we're a good defensive team' and then give up 40 points in a half. I just want us to commit to the things that we've talked about offensively and defensively and go about it daily and make sure we apply it to games. It was nice to see them follow through on that. I think we're growing up and maturing."
"I think we're just playing really confident now, added Mavraides. "The more that we play together and the more different situations we're put in as a team, we're growing together. I think individually, everyone on the team is becoming more confident in their own skills and each others' skills. We're starting to click. I don't think we've hit our maximum at all yet, I think we still have a lot of potential and a lot of room to grow, but we're clicking right now."
That maturity and confidence has allowed Princeton to sweep two straight weekends of conference play and put them at the top of the Ivy table.
Notes:
-Princeton finished 21-47 from the floor (44.7%), 7-22 outside (31.8%) and 14-16 at the line (87.5%). Columbia was 11-46 on the night (23.9%), 1-7 for three (14.3%) and 12-19 from the stripe (63.2%).
-The Tigers outrebounded the Lions 41-26.
-Asenso Ampim left the game late in the first half with what Columbia coach Joe Jones called a "severe ankle sprain." Ampim was injured when he and Buczak got tied up fighting for a loose rebound.
