Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Patrick Saunders & Marcus Schroeder:
Sometimes a several hundred word recap attempting to summarize a basketball game isn't nearly as effective as a single quote from a postgame press conference.
Asked about how his team played against George Washington in comparison to the Tigers' effort against Army on Saturday afternoon, Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson described the night perfectly.
"There was an effort there. There was some passion. We competed. We didn't quite shoot the ball the way we wanted to. We didn't close out some things defensively. [We] showed some caring, which was not quite evident the last time out," Johnson said.
That statement told you everything you needed to know about Princeton's 65-50 loss to the Colonials. The Tigers played much better at GW than they did in their previous game versus the Black Knights, but the result was the same.
George Washington hit three times from outside during a late 15-2 run that turned a five point Colonial lead with under six minutes to play into a 64-46 advantage. Freshman Bryan Bynes’ back-to-back triples extended the GW lead to 18 and sent Princeton home with their second straight loss.
Disappointed with the way his team played early against both Manhattan and Army, Johnson altered the starting five for the first time this season. Underclassmen Patrick Saunders and Douglas Davis were inserted into the lineup, replacing seniors Nick Lake and Zach Finley.
Saunders responded by taking a Pawel Buzak pass from the left elbow and knocking down his first three point shot of the season. When Marcus Schroeder dribbled left off a Buczak screen and pulled up for a long jumper the Tiger lead was 5-0.
"The last two games we haven't started well," Johnson admitted. "We felt like we started pretty solid today and I think that had a lot to do with Doug and Patrick being out there."
Saunders would lead Princeton with 12 points on 5-7 shooting.
Lasan Kromah's three point attempt from the right corner hit high off the rim and bounced through to put George Washington on the board and Aaron Ware hit from the same side a minute later when Tony Taylor's dribble drive penetration freed Ware to put the Colonials up one.
Trying to protect the paint on an entry pass to Dwayne Smith, Saunders picked up his second personal foul with 14:40 left in the first half and headed to the bench, where he would stay until after halftime.
Down by three following Smith's two free throws, Princeton answered with a pull-up jumper from Davis off the break as he raced down court after controlling an attempted alley oop by Taylor that clipped the side of the backboard. Zach Finley tipped in a offensive board after Davis slashed into traffic and the Tigers were up 12-8.
It was Finley's only basket and Princeton's only basket inside the three point line by either of their centers as the Tigers struggled to establish post play for the second consecutive game.
Finley turned the ball over when doubled on the right baseline and Kromah got out in transition, scoring as Mavraides tried to slide under him and take a charge. The three point play with 11:09 left moved George Washington up for the night.
Princeton was able to keep the Colonials off balance by switching defenses, going from a straight man into a 2-3 zone and the occasional 2-1-2 zone with Buczak above the free throw line.
For the most part, the Tigers were not phased by the steady George Washington pressure they faced from baseline to baseline. Princeton committed a season low 12 turnovers, less than a third due to the press. By comparison, the Colonials gave the ball away 20 times.
"You're going to make mistakes and I was happy that they played through them," said Johnson of his team's composure. "There were certain places that we did not want to put the ball and unfortunately we did and that allowed their scheme to work. When we put the ball where we wanted to, I thought that we got quality shots."
Davis was short on a tough corner three, but tracked down his own rebound and went back up with the ball, fouled by Joseph Katuka. Two free throws later and Princeton trailed 18-15.
Katuka got deep post position and scored with a lefty hook over Finley to make it a five point game again and after Davis came up short on a line drive three George Washington got out in transition and Bynes connected from deep to take the Colonial lead to eight for the first time.
Mavraides answered Bynes with a three of his own, but Bynes hit again from outside as Davis came over to help on defense and left Bynes with space. Damian Hollis got into the lane and went glass. Princeton called time with 3:30 showing, now down 28-18.
The lead was nearly 12, but Ian Hummer never gave up on what looked like a sure Tim Johnson dunk, closing from behind and swatting the ball off the rim as Johnson went up for the slam.
Three Tiger free throws made up all the scoring between then and halftime, and Princeton trailed by seven as both teams bounded to their respective locker rooms.
Early in the second half Schroeder drove the left side of the lane and threw the ball back to Buczak at the top of the key, who knocked down the open three point shot to pull the Tigers back within four. The Tigers had a chance to cut the deficit in half, but with Mavraides and Davis on the break after a long rebound, Davis' midrange jumper from the left side was off target.
Johnson snaked between defenders and squared up for two, then pushed off on Davis in the paint after a poor pass our of the corner by Mavraides and was fouled by Davis as he stepped back for a jumper. Both free throws were good and Princeton trailed by eight.
Freshman forward Will Barrett's length was an asset for Princeton in the second half. Playing the small forward against defenders three or four inches shorter than him, Barrett is able to get his shot off over his man on the wing. While Barrett has not been able to connect from outside (0-6 so far), his shots are smooth and uncontested. Barrett missed from the left corner with 17:17 remaining, a shot that would have pulled the Tigers within five.
Barrett more than made up for this with a pair of steals, first stepping in front of an entry pass by Aaron Ware and controlling the ball, then driving down the right baseline and using his long arms to reverse the ball in from under the iron. Johnson called time out, pumping both his fists at Barrett while smiling in approval.
Barrett deflected a David Pellom pass on the wing and tried to drive ahead of the pack but lost control, the ball deflecting out off George Washington.
A deep, flat-footed three by Schroeder that would have cut the Colonial lead in half was short and Ian Hummer's soft tip was no good.
Three straight GW dunks got their lead back to double figures. No one guarded Pellom on an inbounds play and he easily slammed with two hands. Hummer lost the ball in the post and in transition Pellom skied for a mighty one-handed throwdown. Following a Davis three that was too long, Tim Johnson lobbed to Hermann Opoku inside for a flush and George Washington had a 38-28 edge.
Down 11 with 11:44 to go, Princeton began to creep closer. Saunders hit from the wing, freed by a Schroeder dribble. Kromah answered from outside with both Schroeder and Davis on him. A posting Hummer ducked a pass under the basket to an open Saunders. Saunders faked a three in the left corner and drove to the hoop, leaning in for two.
"Patrick is just a tough kid. He's a competitive kid. He cares a lot and it is fun to see that," said Johnson about his sophomore forward's performance. "He really competed well."
The long arms of Barrett blocked a Taylor jumper on the perimeter and Barrett controlled the ball, streaking coast to coast and finishing with a scoop. Suddenly the lead was down to just five.
A baseline jumper by Johnson went out of bounds to Princeton and the Tigers had the opportunity to make it a one possession game. Bringing the ball in against the GW pressure, Davis and Schroeder played a two man game in the backcourt, bypassing Hummer on the left wing. Davis' final pass reached Schroeder too late and Schroeder could not get over half court before the inexcusable ten second violation occurred.
Barrett fouled Ware going for a rebound and Ware was good on both free throws. George Washington, who had 58.1% from the free throw line in their first three games was an impressive 16-17 at the stripe on Tuesday.
A righty hook by Saunders in the deep post made it a five point game again.
Saunders made his first five shots, but could not make it six. An open three from the top of the arc was off the mark. Barrett also could not hit over his defender from outside trying to get Princeton within two.
Kromah drove and left the ball for a trailing Hollis, who could not finish but was fouled by Hummer. Hollis made both free throws.
A long Davis two, floating right past a Buczak screen, cut it to a five point game for a third time, but Buczak could not control a rebound after Hollis missed a three and the George Washington possession ended with a baseline jumper from Taylor.
Mavraides was open for three in front of the Princeton bench but came up short and Schroeder was whistled for a travel as he grabbed the long rebound moving towards the Tiger basket.
Hollis sized one up over Davis from the perimeter, taking the Colonial lead back to double digits. Davis' left elbow jumper brought that back down to eight, but a wing three from Bynes and a second wing three from Bynes that came after Buczak blocked Hollis under the basket and Hollis eventually controlled and kicked the ball back outside had dramatically switched the game from close to concluded. Princeton called time now down 18 with two minutes to go.
"It's unfortunate that down the stretch it wasn't a game," lamented Johnson afterwards. Asked about what happened in this decisive three minute second half stretch, Schroeder saw a simple answer. "I think we just missed a few shots and they hit a few shots," he said.
"It was eight, [it was] 10 and it went from there."
Notes:
-Princeton finished the game 18-52 from the field (34.6%), 5-26 from three (19.2%) and 9-12 at the line (75.0%). George Washington shot 20-48 (41.7%), 9-16 from outside (56.3%) and 16-17 on free throws (94.1%).
-Davis and Mavraides combined to shoot 5-22, 2-14 from three.
-Bynes paced the Colonials with 13. Hollis had nine points and nine rebounds.
-The Tigers were outrebounded for the first time this season as the Colonials won the battle of the boards 39-22 and snatched 10 offensive rebounds.
-Barrett has six steals through four games, leading the team.
-Bobby Foley saw his first playing time of the season against George Washington, replacing Marcus Schroeder for the last :40 of the second half.
-Georgetown men's basketball coach John Thompson III rushed over to Foggy Bottom after the Hoyas finished practicing and watched the majority of the second half standing across from the Princeton bench.
-A moment of silence was held before the game for Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals owner Abe Pollin, who died earlier in the day at the age of 85. Pollin was a 1945 graduate of George Washington.
