Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson:
Postgame audio - Dan Mavraides, Ian Hummer & Zach Finley:
Three quarters of the way through Princeton’s home opener against Manhattan, it looked like the story was going to be the potential points the Tigers left just short of the rim or a fraction off the glass. Stuck searching for a foothold after falling into an early 18-6 hole, Princeton repeatedly teased taking control of the game, yet point blank misfires left them down with time rolling off the clock.
The Jaspers were holding a 50-43 lead when the plot changed. With less than seven minutes to go, Darryl Crawford, who led Manhattan with 14 points and 10 rebounds, sped down the baseline unobstructed and reversed the ball in off the glass.
It was the type of deficit and the sort of situation that Princeton will face when the calendar flips to February but this early season test of the Tigers’ mettle saw Princeton go on a narrative-altering 16-2 run that helped the Tigers improve to 2-0 for the second time in three seasons.
Zach Finley, continuing to put last year’s frustrating junior campaign behind him as he now plays confidently alongside instead of behind fellow senior center Pawel Buczak, had 16 points, going 8-10 at the free throw line. Dan Mavraides and Buczak added 13 and 11 points respectively to aid the comeback.
Mavraides’ catch-and-shoot right angle three off a pass from Marcus Schroeder with 3:26 to go gave the Tigers their final lead and Princeton would close the book on Manhattan from the free throw line, a perfect 8-8 from the stripe. “Schroeder lined up the laces nicely for me,” said Mavraides of the shot.
Princeton quickly fell down 12-2 two minutes in, as Manhattan made their first four field goals. Princeton had difficulty containing the fast Jasper pair of Rico Pickett and Darryl Crawford. Two deep threes - one from each side of the wing - and a baseline jumper by Laurence Jolicoeur sent the Tigers back by double figures.
The Tigers' deficit was just six when Buczak tipped home his initial hook off the rim with 12:59 left in the first half. Manhattan was able to pick up six straight to double their advantage. Rico Pickett connected from the corner pocket and just after the ball sailed through the rim the officials called Princeton's Nick Lake for a push as he battled for position. Possession stayed with the Jaspers and Pickett hit a second time from behind the arc to build the game's biggest edge, 18-6.
"I don't think we were as ready as we wanted to be when the game started," Mavraides confessed after the game. "As coach said in our huddles, 'We're not going to get it all back on one possession.' We worked our way in and hit our free throws and played better defense throughout the game. We played composed and I think that helped us," he added.
Defensively, Princeton had started playing a switching man to man, but went into an extended, trapping zone that seemed to make Manhattan skittish, right up until Pickett's six point possession. Now down by 12, the Tigers returned to man on defense.
In for the first time all season, forward Patrick Saunders was part of a 17-2 Princeton run that put Princeton in front for the first time. Freshman Ian Hummer found Saunders under the basket with a zip pass from the top of the key that cut the Manhattan lead down to 10. A steal ended up in the hands of Douglas Davis, who pushed ahead and fed Finley finishing off glass, fouled by Djibril Coulibaly for a three point play.
After a one handed push by Crawford, Finley dribbled out of the post and passed to a flashing Hummer for two. Hummer scored again inside following Schroeder absorbing a charge by Antoine Pearson on the other end and the Tigers were behind by three.
Princeton had missed their first five three point shots, but Mavraides used a Buczak hand-off screen to free himself for the Tigers' first long distance bucket and Hummer in the low block fed Buczak on the left wing for his first three of the young season to create Princeton's initial advantage on the scoreboard, 23-20 with 4:55 before the break.
Pickett helped Manhattan regain the lead back with a lefty swoop to the rim and the Jaspers would go into the break up three after Hummer foolishly bodied Crawford outside the arc in the final minute and Crawford converted both free throws once sent to the line.
It had not been a pretty first chapter for the Jadwin faithful or this year's Princeton team. The Tigers turned the ball over nine times in the opening half, with Lake committing three of these violations in five minutes of play.
When play resumed, Princeton looked to run the offense through a posting Schroeder, who set up on the right block two consecutive times.
Mavraides pulled up for a three on a break that was off the mark, but Buczak slapped the rebound outside. Finley could not finish in the lane and Buczak kept the possession alive a second time with a long board. The third time was a charm as Buczak's overhand pass to Mavraides during his stride towards the basket resulted in a three point shot.
Rico Pickett lost control when Manhattan had possession next and as the ball bounced towards the sideline, it appeared Princeton would not be able to save it. Somehow, Zach Finley got low and dove parallel to the ground, using all 81 inches of his body to get a hand on the ball and throw it back to a teammate as he crashed into press row. In transition, Buczak curled to the hoop and was fouled by Jolicoeur, making one of two at the line. Princeton was up 35-34.
A free throw by Hummer with under 13 minutes remaining tied the score at 40. Pickett's stepback high leaping fade gave Manhattan the lead again and that lead would double when Pickett found Jolicoeur rolling to the rim and Jolicoeur scored while knocking down Hummer under the iron. Jolicoeur's free throw made it a five point Jasper advantage. Once vertical, Hummer responded with a quick jumper facing up in the post.
Manhattan's Crawford scored inside, as Hummer was a fraction late trying to come over and block the floater. Crawford's reverse gave the Jaspers a seven point edge and Manhattan had the ball back looking to put Princeton away after Mavraides' drive off glass was blocked by Andrew Gabriel.
The Princeton coaching staff leapt to their feet, shocked that the officials did not call goaltending. It appeared that Gabriel swatted the shot well after it hit the backboard but before it was given a chance to arrive at the rim. This ended up being a moot point as Pickett could not connect from outside and Buczak rebounded.
The final pages of the Tiger rally occurred predominantly at the free throw line. 14 of Princeton's final 17 points were created from the stripe. Finley got deep position on Jolicoeur in the center of the lane and was fouled going up, making both free throws. Pickett missed a jumper and Finley was running the floor, fouled by Crawford. This time Finley hit on one of two and Princeton trailed 50-46.
Pearson lost the ball out of his hands on a wild drive to the basket, but picked the loose ball out of midair and laid it off glass with 5:48 showing.
Jolicoeur fouled Finley trying a lefty hook inside and Finley was on the mark both times at the line.
A deep three by Patrick Bouli would not go and Finley scored again at the other end of Jadwin, too strong on a curl to the basket but staying with the play to bank his miss home with his right hand. Manhattan called time out.
Pickett could not score in traffic, but Buczak's jump hook to tie came up short.
Pickett was the recipient of a laser down the baseline and set up in the far corner for three in front of the Manhattan bench but his open shot was too strong. Mavraides was true from the right wing and Princeton had the lead again, 53-52 with 3:26 to go. Coach Johnson called time to set up his team for the game's conclusion.
Finley picked up his fourth personal foul trying to poke away a lob to Jolicoeur in the post and fouled out six seconds later when play resumed after the game's last media time out, attempting to take a charge as Crawford sauntered down the left baseline. Finley was displeased with the officials' verdict, but had no option beyond heading to the bench, where he was replaced by Saunders. Crawford missed the front end of his one and one and Princeton retained.
With under two minutes to go, Schroeder turned the corner and drove for Princeton, drawing contact from Gabriel. It was Schroeder's first layup attempt of the year and Gabriel's fifth and disqualifying foul. Schroeder was good on both tries and the Tigers were in front 55-52 with 1:40 to go.
Crawford lost the ball as Buczak and Hummer both came over to help on his drive, the ball ending up in Buczak's hands. Schroeder again was fouled trying to dribble and again made both his attempts to take the lead up to five.
Mavraides stood firm on a charge from Pickett as he tried to get down the lane and Princeton had control with a chance to take a three possession lead. Mavraides drove and left the ball for Kareem Maddox, in for the first time this season, but the ball bounced off Maddox's hands under the backboard and out of bounds on the baseline.
Buczak was called for a hold trying to grab Pickett's missed jumper, sending Coulibaly to the line, but Coulibaly could not convert the front end of his one and one and Hummer snatched the board.
Princeton was able to play keep away for 20 seconds, passing the ball all around the halfcourt before Crawford eventually tracked down and fouled Maddox at the top of the circle. Maddox made both free throws and Princeton was on their way to their second straight win.
"I think we have it in us to compete, and that's the standard that we're being held to," said Coach Johnson after the game. "I know this team can compete because of the character and who they are inside them."
Challenged to compete, Princeton had written a fitting 61-54 sequel to their season opening win at Central Michigan.
Notes:
-Princeton was 19-24 from the free throw line versus Manhattan (79.2%) and have attempted 45 free throws in their first two games. As a point of comparison, the Tigers have made more free throws (19) in the first two games of 2009-10 than they attempted (18) through two games a season ago.
-The Tigers outrebounded their second consecutive opponent, winning the battle of the boards against Manhattan 35-29. Many of Princeton's nine offensive rebounds were the result of either Finley (4) or Buczak (2) attempting to put back initial misses next to the rim.
-Kareem Maddox saw his first playing time of the year with 1:40 left in the second half, entering the game for Patrick Saunders.
-Pawel Buczak's 13 field goal attempts were a career high. Despite great positioning and strong moves to the basket, Buczak had an off night shooting, hitting just four of these tries.
-Marcus Schroeder has yet to miss a shot this season, going 1-1 from the field for the second straight game. Schroeder was also 4-4 at the free throw line and did not have a turnover in 26 minutes of play.
-Princeton outscored Manhattan 30-20 in the second half.
-Darryl Crawford became the 31st Jasper to score over 1,000 points for their career with a jumper midway through the second half.
