Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson:
Postgame audio - Douglas Davis & Zach Finley:
When I spoke with Coach Sydney Johnson on Thursday afternoon, he told me that he wanted his Princeton team to be in the position to win the first game of the year coming out of the final media time out at Central Michigan.
The Tigers went into that stoppage with their nine point edge filed to two this afternoon at the Rose Center in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and responded when the Chippewas took their first lead since the first half.
"We were trying to settle in emotionally and I think we did an excellent job," said Tiger head coach Sydney Johnson. "Last year we might not have responded the same way."
Douglas Davis scored an up-and-under banker with less than thirty seconds to play to put the Tigers back up one and then made two free throws after blocking the attempt to tie by Central Michigan’s Robbie Harman to help Princeton to a season-opening 71-68 victory.
"He showed a lot of guts," Johnson said about Davis' afternoon. "We want him to continue to be good offensively, but getting that block and making hustle plays, that's really forward progress for him."
Davis and junior Dan Mavraides each totaled 16 points for the Tigers and Zach Finley added 13.
Finley was Princeton’s starting center to open the year, with fellow senior Pawel Buczak sliding to forward. It was an unexpected personnel decision, but one that created some interior advantages for Princeton.
Harman had a game-best 22 points on 6-11 shooting from the perimeter to pace the Chippewas.
Finley and Buczak starting side-by-side wasn't the only surprise in the Princeton lineup. Those two were joined by the other half of the Tigers' senior class, Marcus Schroeder and Zach Finley. Dan Mavraides completed the starting five.
Finley looked faster laterally and was able to guard the wing as well as the paint. It was Finley who picked up Princeton's first basket of the season, getting free inside and laying home a pass from Schroeder on the season's initial possession.
Central Michigan looked to post against both Finley and Buczak, but both men performed admirably one-on-one. While Marko Spica tied the game with a jump hook over Finley and Chris Kellermann connected on a baseline jumper over Buczak, the Chippewas were outplayed inside.
Kellerman, who had 28 points and 13 rebounds at Jadwin Gym to start the season last year put up just five points and four boards today on 2-8 shooting and did not score in the second half.
Mavraides scored eight points early for Princeton, continuing to show the ability to put up big numbers in short stretches of time. Mavraides was fouled attempting a wing three by Jordan Bitzer and made all three attempts to give the Tigers a 5-4 lead.
A quick Mavraides triple off the dribble, Princeton's first outside shot of the year was followed by a floater down the left baseline as Mavraides surged to the hole, letting a one-handed teardrop go up and in.
With 15:42 left in the first half Mavraides was called for his second personal foul, barrelling over a CMU defender on a cut away from the ball. He would head to the bench and not return until after halftime.
Mavraides was replaced by Davis, seeing his first time off the bench.
Princeton led 16-13 nearing the midway point and long freshman forward Will Barrett received his first playing time as a Tiger. A pass from Davis trying to break pressure bringing the ball up bounced off Barrett's fist at midcourt for a turnover, but the first time Barrett touched the ball with both hands he took one dribble and nailed a short jumper, able to get his outstretched arms above his man. With Barrett at 6'10" playing the wing, Princeton went with the giant lineup of Barrett, Finley, Buczak, Lake and Davis.
When Finley posted inside and changed hands under the basket off the glass, Princeton held a 20-18 lead.
Harman had a catch-and-shoot three off an inbounds to put CMU back in front and he followed that with a second outside shot following a Chippewas offensive rebound.
Princeton's other highly touted freshman forward, Ian Hummer, entered the game with 9:20 left and also scored the first time he had the ball, a difficult push shot in traffic to halve the CMU's advantage. Hummer would finish with four points and three rebounds and matched up with Barrett at forward for part of the opening frame.
A confident right-handed shot by Finley while drawing the foul from Tyler Brown made it a one point game and Buczak found Davis for three to put Princeton back in front with 5:12 before intermission.
It was a lead that Princeton would hold until the game's final minute.
An insane crossover move by Buczak created a path to the basket and Buczak soared to his left down the lane off glass to push Princeton up 34-29. This concluded a 9-0 Tiger spurt.
Harman connected a third time, this jumper coming in transition. A missed defensive assignment left Harman open up top but he was off the mark. This was still enough for Coach Johnson to call a time out and speak to his team about knowing where Harman was at all times.
The Tigers went back to their locker room up five. Douglas Davis came up short on a three point shot on Princeton's final possession, the team's only miss from outside in the first half. Princeton was 5-6 from deep (83.3%) and a wild 14-19 from the floor overall (73.7%). Almost equally impressive, the Tigers got to the free throw line 13 times in the first 20 minutes, making 10 of those attempts (76.9%).
After turning the ball over three times early and six times in the first nine minutes, Princeton had just one miscue the rest of the half.
Central Michigan were no slouches offensively with just four turnovers and a 46.7% shooing percentage, connecting five times from outside in 11 tries (45.5%). Harman had nine, all from behind the arc.
The gaudy offensive numbers would have led someone to expect the fast tempo to continue once play resumed. That assumption would prove incorrect. Both teams went scoreless until William McClure tipped in a Jalin Thomas jumper at the 16:11 mark to make it a two point game.
Buczak swooped for a drive that McClure could not get his body in front of and the subsequent free throw was true.
Davis called for the ball from Hummer on the wing the next time Princeton had possession and fired up a three from the top of the arc that bumped the Tigers up by their largest margin, 49-41. Central Michigan called time.
Each opportunity Princeton had to create greater distance, Robbie Harman got open. Harman hit from the left wing to pull Central Michigan back within five.
Davis got into the lane and hesitated before canning a jumper and after a three from Kellerman as the shot clock expired went in and out, Mavraides faked a pass out of the corner to the wing, caught his defender guessing pass and drove to the hoop, finishing with an incredible reverse layup over his shoulder as Tyler Brown came across to foul him. The Princeton bench erupted and Mavraides' teammates went over to congratulate him. Mavraides' free throw was off the mark, but Princeton still had their biggest lead to date, 53-44.
A spinning jumper by Jordan Bitzer and a wing three by Bitzer after Buczak stepped off a hair trying to swipe for the ball cut that lead down to five with 8:49 to go.
Mavraides picked off a Finis Craddock pass and raced to the basket. Craddock got back and tried to take a charge but the official saw it as a block. Mavraides finished the play as the whistle sounded by again could not connect on the free throw.
Leading by four with under seven minutes left, Mavraides sized up a three on the right wing from a step behind the line that was answered by Bitzer in the far corner. Davis had the ball in his hands for Princeton at the other side of the Rose Center, lost control for a second, regained possession and composed himself to find Nick Lake setting up for three. Lake was 3-4 from outside on the day, none bigger than this shot, which was on target.
Harman scored eight straight, putting the Chippewas on his back. His fifth and sixth treys were interrupted by a Mavraides free throw, as he and Buczak played a two man game, Mavraides feeding Buczak in the post, then drawing contact as he cut into the lane and went up with the return pass. When Harman pulled up on Davis from outside it was a two point deficit for Central Michigan.
Buczak ran over his man for the offensive foul heading into the final media time out. Princeton was on the ropes, but in the position they had wanted to be in before the headed to the middle of Michigan.
Harman banked a jumper off glass to knot the score before Buczak responded with a short hooker in the lane.
With the score tied and two minutes to go, Marcus Schroeder, who played a steady game for the Tigers, faked a three point shot and entered the lane, shuffling a pass to a dropping Finley who scored and was fouled by Kellermann to make it 67-64 Princeton.
Harman's jumper in the lane cut it to a one and Finley could not answer, his deep hook shot grazing the rim before CMU gained control and called time under the hoop.
Harman drove left and dished to Thomas, who looked to be wide open on the other side of the rim, but Buczak quickly closed for the block out of bounds. A foul on Finley, bumping Bitzer on the wing put the senior guard at the line with :44.9 showing on the clock. Bitzer was good on both ends of his one-and-one and Princeton dribbled the ball over half court before taking a time out to set up on offense.
Schroeder inbounded to Mavraides in the back court, who gave the ball back to Schroeder. Schroeder found Davis, who did a spin dribble, skirted into the lane on the right side of the arc and went under Harman when he had an opening, scooping and scoring off the window.
While Coach Johnson had been substituting Davis for Lake during stoppages down the stretch to take advantage of Lake's defensive skills, Davis was guarding Harman with Princeton now up by one and time running out.
Harman attempted to put his team in front with a midrange pull-up, but Davis - the smallest player on the floor - who talked at Media Day about how hard he had worked to improve his defense over the summer - quickly came under a screen, blocked the shot back in Harman's face and controlled the loose ball. Thomas fouled Davis and the sophomore guard from Philadelphia made it a three point game with two perfect free throws.
"I just had to put myself in a position to make a big play. That's what I wanted to do," said Davis after the game. "Actually, I was out of position. I should have iced the pick. I knew I had to get back there and do something to prevent him from scoring."
With a pause in the action after the second make, now Lake was able to replace Davis off the bench for defensive purposes and Harman dribbled around the perimeter as the Tiger defense switched out, looking to find a tying attempt. Princeton chose not to foul Harman before he squared up and the best he could do was try a deep three two steps behind the line with Buczak extending his arm that hit left off the iron and into Mavraides' hands. Mavraides dribbled out the clock and then tossed the ball into the air at midcourt after the final buzzer before celebrating with his teammates.
"Emotionally, I think we're still recovering a bit from being ahead and then letting them get back in the game," a relieved coach Johnson said following the conclusion of the Tiger opener.
Davis had scored the day's final four points and Princeton could fly back to New Jersey from Detroit with their first win of the year. "They went on a big run and we had to find a way to stop it," Davis said. "We came up huge at crunch time and were able to pull out the victory."
Notes:
-Despite sinking under 40% late after the break late in the second half, Princeton finished shooting 24-41 from the floor (58.5%), was 8-14 outside (57.1%) and 15-21 at the line (71.4%). The Tigers had 14 turnovers versus eight assists for the game.
-Finley and Buczak combined for 21 points and six rebounds on 8-13 shooting. "We've been trying it out [this combination] a little bit this pre-season and I think it is working well for us," Finley revealed. "Both of us are pretty good low post threats. It is tough to stop."
-Neither Hummer or Barrett played in the game's final 12 minutes as Princeton went with a veteran lineup down the stretch. Barrett's playing time was solely in the first half.
-Nick Lake had a team-best six rebounds as Princeton won the board battle 28-27.
-Forwards Patrick Saunders and Kareem Maddox did not see court time for the Tigers.
-All eight Tigers who saw action scored. Each played more than 11 minutes according to the official box score (which I think is actually incorrect).
-With their post game, in their words of head coach Ernie Zeigler, "nonexistent" - Central Michigan played primarily on the perimeter. They were 10-21 from three (47.6%) but could not get a good look to force overtime.
-Harman and Bitzer combined to score the Chippewas' last 17 points.
