Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Ian Hummer & Douglas Davis:
There was no other way to put it, so Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson didn't put it any other way.
"We flatly just got outplayed. We made it close but clearly they were the tougher team," said Johnson after his team closed out CBE play at James Madison with a 69-67 loss to Presbyterian.
The Tigers trailed 62-55 with 4:48 left in the second half of their third game in three days and rallied to go up one on Douglas Davis' sixth three pointer of the afternoon with :28 still to play but could not stop Blue Hose center Al'Lonzo Coleman as he bumped his way inside for a layup that flipped the lead for the 11th and final time.
"He was a tough out for us," assessed Johnson of Coleman, who finished with 17 points to lead Presbyterian. We tried to mix in some different things but obviously [big men] were trouble for us these last three games."
Coleman scored over Princeton's Ian Hummer, who had a career game of 24 points on 10-13 shooting along with 14 rebounds - the most by a Tiger since Zach Finley grabbed 15 in a 2009 OT loss to Penn and Hummer's first double-double.
Kareem Maddox's potential game-winner from just inside half court did not reach the rim as time ran out.
Davis added 23 in defeat but no other Tiger managed more than five.
Princeton's offense saw success early against the Blue Hose zone, yet the Tigers' defense could not equal that performance.
Brendan Connolly found Davis on the right side out of the post for a three to open the scoring.
Tied at five after Maddox came off the bench 87 seconds into the action and passed to Hummer cutting for an immediate jumper at the free throw line, Davis added a step-back three with the shot clock running low to make it an 8-5 game.
While the Princeton defensive effort was not up to snuff, the times they almost made plays were not rewarded. Davis' near steal could not stop Coleman from bullying his way inside and drawing a foul off the glass at the end of a possession.
Coleman's spin move and reverse layup around Mack Darrow tied the game at 11. A jumper by Khalid Mutakabbir, who was shooting 9-13 from three for Presbyterian coming into the game occurred both outside the arc and right in the face of Patrick Saunders. Coleman followed with a long right-handed hook in the lane for a 16-12 Blue Hose edge.
Maddox at the left elbow found Davis on the right arc for three to move Princeton back in front by three at the 7:08 mark. Josh Johnson answered from up top to even the scoreboard at 21.
Walt Allen spun right as Mavraides reached in, scoring off the glass. His three point play was followed by a layup as Maddox blocked his first try back into his hands for a bunny. Presbyterian led 26-21.
Hummer's tip follow of a Davis jumper drew the Tigers within one yet again, but Mutakabbir found space in the Princeton zone at the free throw line for a jumper. Touch passes from Hummer in the lane to Connolly on the right post to Darrow on the opposite side of the rim made it 32-31.
Pierre Miller connected from outside and the lead was four for Presbyterian with eight seconds left. Mavraides was not satisfied and threw a long outlet to Connolly who controlled under the basket, used a pump fake and went up as Jake Troyli fouled him with under two seconds to go. Connolly converted both his tries and the score was 35-33 Blue Hose at the break.
The halftime numbers were very similar, an indication of how even the opening 20 minutes had been. Princeton shot 13-28 (46.4%), 4-10 outside the arc (40.0%) and 3-4 at the line (75.%). Presbyterian was 14-29 (48.3%), 4-8 from deep (50.0%) and 3-4 at the line. The Tigers had a 17-13 edge on the glass and 10 assists on their 13 baskets.
Many of the Blue Hose jumpers were contested, but the credit was fully theirs for making them. It seemed unlikely that shots of that degree of difficulty would continue to fall in the second half.
The second half opened like the first half opened. The only change was that it was Mavraides who threw a nice pass to Davis for a three point shot. Hummer followed it up with good position on an entry pass and a quick turn for a jumper.
The Tiger defense looked like it was tightening, but then Coleman went behind his back, down the lane and under Maddox for an acrobatic layup.
Troyli backed down Mavraides inside and the Blue Hose had the lead back.
Leading 40-39, Princeton went to an extended period of zone on defense.
A hand off from Maddox in the paint to Hummer coming to the free throw line for a jumper occurred just before Hummer absorbed a charge from Troyli.
Hummer's good play at both ends continued as he called for the ball in the center of the lane and went to his left, scoring as Ryan Hargrave fouled him. Hummer took the lead up to 44-39 when he split a pair of free throws after Mavraides found him on a three-on-one.
Mutakabbir continued his great start from outside for 2010-11, finding a space in the zone over Hummer in the left corner for a three.
When Mutakabbir took a pass from Coleman setting up inside and sized up a third jumper, his team trailed by one. Troyli did the same from the top of the key and it was 48-46 Presbyterian with 10:42 showing.
Davis pulled Princeton even with a pull up jumper in the lane, but out of a time out by the Tigers, the Blue Hose went on a 9-3 spurt.
For the first time all night a team moved in front by more than five on a Johnson free throw. Coleman tried to locate a different teammate out of a double team on the left block but his pass went to Johnson by accident and Johnson was happy to jump up and draw a whistle on the other side of the paint.
It was a seven point deficit at the final media time out, 62-55.
T.J. Bray, who played 11 second half minutes for Princeton, was off the mark on his only attempt of the game. Maddox rebounded and was fouled, making both free throws.
Johnson crossed over Hummer with the shot clock running down and converted a long two point jumper.
Hummer again spun to his left for two, then was fouled on a loose ball by Mutakabbir at the opposite end. While Hummer has struggled mightily at the line, you wouldn't have known it from how flawless his two attempts were.
Presbyterian missed the front end of a one-and-one and Hummer again got deep position and was able to go left for a one point game after Maddox fed him.
Allen missed a layup and Mavraides found Davis across the court. Davis pump faked just inside the line to get Mutakabbir in the air. Mutakabbir landed on Davis and the whistle followed. Davis' first try was true at the line but his try to regain the lead spun away.
Even with 90 seconds to go, Mavraides was in disbelief as he was called for a foul on Miller a good 30' from the basket on a soft touch.
Miller didn't mind, making both free throws to give the Blue Hose a 66-64 lead.
On Princeton's next possession Maddox went to his left, got around his man into the lane and went up in traffic. He could not put the ball down but Coleman was called for the foul.
A 74.7% free throw shooter last season, Maddox surprised by missing both attempts. Hummer immediately fouled Coleman on the rebound, as Princeton wanted to put the Presbyterian center at the line. The decision was the right one as the free throw was short.
Maddox got the ball inside out of a Princeton time out and did not realize the four inch height advantage he had on Miller as he was dribbling from his left to his right. Instead of turning to score, he pushed out to Davis on the left arc for a three. Davis canned the jumper and Princeton had a one point edge with :23.3 to go and the shot clock off.
Coleman was who Prespyterian wanted to get the ball and Coleman was who got the ball, down too close on the right block. He bodied Hummer, squared and went up off the glass with :16 still to play.
Pushing into the front court, Davis drove right into the paint and unselfishly passed to Mavraides in the left corner. Mavraides had a rough afternoon of 2-11 shooting and his eighth try from deep, a clean look in rhythm, sailed long.
Miller rebounded as Maddox fouled him with :02.4 to go. Milled missed the first and made the second, allowing Bray to inbound across half court to Maddox but Maddox's open look from well beyond his range never had a chance.
Johnson, Hummer and Davis were cognizant of the fact that their opponent had played harder than they did, were all not satisfied with what had transpired but did not have an explanation of why the energy was lacking.
"Doubling, lose balls, rebounds - just a miserable effort. I think we have more in us, I think we can be a better team than tonight but we just weren't," Johnson said. "I'm disappointed by that."
"To lose a game when you got outworked, that's something you can control. When your shot's not falling, that's one thing. When another team outworks you, you have to live with that," Davis added.
Princeton will have to live with a 2-3 record after dropping two of their three games in the final possession at James Madison.
Notes:
-The Tigers shot 25-59 in the game (49.1%), 7-26 from deep (26.9%) and 10-15 from the line (66.7%). Presbyterian was 26-53 from the floor (49.1%), 8-15 outside (53.3%) and 9-14 on free throws (64.3%).
-While Davis was 6-12 from three point range, all other Tigers combined for 1-14 shooting. The only non-Davis make came from Mavraides in the first half when the Presbyterian defense oddly backed away from him in the corner.
-For the fifth straight game Princeton cleaned up on the glass, outrebounding the Blue Hose 35-30 with 15 offensive boards. Six of those belonged to Hummer.
-The Tigers had a season-best 18 assists on 25 baskets and committed a season-low five turnovers, just one in the second half.
-Mutakabbir is now an uncanny 12-17 from three point range this season.
-There were 65 people in the stands at tipoff. I counted.
