Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson:
Coming into the 2010-11 season, there were only eight games in the past 25 years in which a Princeton player scored 30 or more points.
The previous five times out, senior Tiger forward Kareem Maddox has eclipsed this mark twice.
Tulsa rallied from a six point deficit with two minutes to go in regulation, then made two free throws with 10 seconds left in overtime to force a second extra session - but with the Golden Hurricane up 76-73 and 1:30 remaining, it was Princeton who had the final surge in an epic game, outscoring the home team 9-2 for their fifth straight win.
Maddox froze on the perimeter, looked to his left and exploded to the right while fouled for two free throws, then went right a second time for a reverse layup after Ian Hummer forced a jump ball for a quick one point Tiger advantage.
Tulsa answered with two free throws by Justin Hurtt after a quick drive before Douglas Davis, who struggled to find his shot the majority of the afternoon, put the Tigers up for good with a jumper at the free throw line.
Maddox iced the result on two free throws in the final second, giving him a new career high of 31 and making him the first Princeton player in the last three decades to have more than 30 points twice in the same season. Maddox was 10-13 from the field, 10-12 on free throws and added his first three point shot of the season for good measure.
It hasn't been an easy four years for Maddox, who struggled his first two seasons playing for a different coach than the one who recruited him. After the game Tiger head man Sydney Johnson was quick to remind that Maddox was a find of previous Princeton head coach Joe Scott.
"To be very frank and honest, I was pretty hard on Kareem to hold him to that standard. [Coach Scott] saw something that was pretty good in him and I didn't feel like it was coming out for freshman year and sophomore year," confessed Johnson.
Ian Hummer's 17 and Dan Mavraides' 16 aided the Princeton cause.
In a game where the Tigers struggled to find their outside shot as a group, Princeton went inside repeatedly to start Sunday. Down 3-0 after Tulsa passed inside/out from D.J. Magley to Hurtt, Hummer turned at the free throw line and scored while fouled by Magley. Hummer missed the free throw but went right back on the attack come Princeton's next possession with a lefty hooker.
Scott Haralson scored on a baseline reverse for a three point Hurricane lead and Maddox came off the bench to get all three back when he took a pass from T.J. Bray, sealed off Hurtt down low and scored while fouled for a traditional three point play.
It was 12-11 Princeton following a second three point play for Maddox, taking a long stride to dribble into the paint and putting the ball home as Blondy Baruti hacked.
Haralson answered with a pull back jumper, the start of a 12-2 Tulsa run. Jordan Clarkson's left side trey was immediately followed by Haralson's step back jumper behind the arc. Hurtt's lefty penetration gave the Hurricane their biggest lead of the game.
Trailing by nine, Princeton adjusted with two tactical changes: Defensively they switched to a zone for a few possessions and odd forward out Will Barrett came off the bench to provide a different look for the Tigers.
With Barrett in, Princeton was +8 in the first half.
"I thought Will was terrific in the minutes that he gave us," Johnson said. "It was a nice little change of pace, a different look. He allowed our guys to flow a little bit better offensively."
Mavraides picked up a loose ball in Tulsa territory and snaked into the clear for a layup.
Joe Richard tipped home his own miss to take the lead back to nine before Maddox had an easy time going to his left off glass and followed that up with a turnaround jumper after he picked up his dribble. Tulsa called time.
Following a wild shot by Hurtt that went out of bounds back to Princeton, Davis drove to his right with the shot clock running down and had no choice but to pass out to Maddox on the right wing. Maddox had not converted a three point shot in three tries season and was 1-15 outside the arc as a junior but those numbers didn't stop Maddox from sizing and hitting as the clock ran out to make it 26-25 Tigers.
Mavraides tried to steal the ball from Kodi Madkua, but Makuda recovered, stepped into the lane and fired a pass past the oncoming Barrett down to Joe Richard on the right baseline for a two hand slam.
When Hummer faded to the left baseline, he was fouled by Richard and made both attempts prior to the horn.
"I think that was a pretty big moment in the game to go into halftime right along side them instead of going down seven or eight," Johnson observed.
Princeton went to the break trailing 32-31, shooting 11-25 from the floor (44.0%), 2-9 from three (after missing their first six) and 7-9 on free throws (77.8%). Maddox had a game-high 13 off the bench.
Tulsa was 13-28 (46.4%), 4-7 from deep (57.1%) and a perfect 2-2 on free throws. The Golden Hurricane had a 17-13 edge on the glass.
Before Princeton touched the ball in the second half, Tulsa had five chances to score. Steve Idlet had a jumper that missed the mark, but Patrick Saunders was whistled for going over the back on a rebound. Hurdt could not connect from outside and Idlet rebounded. His follow was off but Magley laid the fifth try home, padding the rebounding numbers for the Hurricane and putting the Tigers down three.
A step back Mavraides jumper drew Princeton back within one and after Mavriades picked up the ball from Idlet, he pushed ahead to the rim, wrapping a pass around to Saunders for an easy layup. 27 seconds later Saunders had an equally easy chance come up short of the target at point blank range.
Following a slash from Hurtt, Hummer was bodied by Magley and kept control to push a shot up with his left hand that went down. Hummer's free throw was on the money. It was the beginning on a 8-1 Princeton run.
Hurtt split one of two at the line after Mack Darrow blocked his shot from behind and Darrow showed Hurtt how to convert when he rebounded a wild Mavraides shot and nailed both tries after Richard fouled him going up.
Maddox found positioning down low and drew a whistle, hitting one of two. After Maduka ended a Tulsa possession with an illegal screen, Maddox went around his man with a swooping gesture for a layin. Princeton had a 43-37 lead with 15:02 to play.
Tulsa responded with an 8-2 run of their own, going inside to Idlet repeatedly. Idlet scored on a big hook for starters and the Hurricane offense began to roll through the low block.
Maddox stopped the surge when he turned on Haralson for a 45-41 lead, but Hurtt answered with some wild acrobatics and Hurtt's running hook bounced in to level the scoreboard.
Maddox's great long-legged drive from the wing came up just short off the rim and Baruti rebounded.
In the next 34 seconds, Maddox committed three straight personal fouls - the second trying to stop a lob from behind his man and the third for a hold after Hummer controlled a defensive rebound when Haralson's jumper couldn't find the mark. Darrow quickly replaced Maddox on the floor.
Mavraides faked on the left wing and then launched a three pointer in front of the Princeton bench to send his team back up 48-45 with 9:39 to go. Idlet's two free throws after Idlet rebounded a contested Haralson miss from outside to draw within one.
Hummer fed Darrow inside, his shot blocked by Baruti. The ball came right to Saunders in the lane, who flipped a follow in. On Princeton's next possession a loose ball bounded to Hummer, who zipped the ball to Davis on the left wing as the Tulsa defense scrambled to reset with the shot clock about to expire. Davis had missed his first seven shots but he beat the buzzer for a 53-47 score.
Princeton nearly freed up Hummer for an eight point lead, but after Hummer used a back screen to curl to the post, he lost the ball on the sideline. At the other end, Idlet lost the ball but regained and was fouled by Darrow, splitting a pair.
When Hummer scored with his right it was a 55-48 game at the 6:00 mark.
Idlet's lefty hook drew Tulsa within five. Mavraides launched a wild trey try that went over the sideline off of a player's foot. The officials conferred but could not decide whose shoe had created the deflection and copped out on a jump ball. The possession was with Princeton. Madddox backed in his man but his pass was stolen by Richard.
Hummer fouled Hurtt on a baseline drive and two free throws made it a three point game. A deep fadeaway by Davis was ill-advised and Idlet was fouled by Darrow in the post, splitting a pair. The lead stood at two heading into the final media time out.
It looked like the play of the game (though in retrospect it probably would only crack the Top 10 on this crazy afternoon) when Hummer was trapped under his team's hoop with the shot clock running low and got the ball to Maddox coming down the lane with four seconds showing for a short jumper to double Princeton's advantage.
Idlet fouled out Darrow with 2:24 left and promptly missed both his attempts. Mavraides found Hummer inside as he was turning and a whistle sounded. Hummer went to the line and looked as good on a pair of free throws as he has in his career, making it a six point game with two minutes remaining.
A giant, hard screen at the top of the key freed Hurtt for a dead on three and after Hummer's lefty hook came up short, Haralson sprung on the left wing for a game-tying triple. There was :46.7 left and Princeton had the ball, trying to hold on.
Hummer went to his right and shot hard off the glass, Haralson rebounding and Tulsa now able to play for the win. Idlet's jumper in the lane was rebounded by Maddox, who got the ball up to Mavaides in motion. Mavraides went one step inside the three point line and fired, his game-winner just short as time ran out. Overtime.
The OT session was back and forth, both teams trying to pull momentum away from the other. Brendan Connolly fouled Idlet inside and Idlet missed another pair. Mavraides turned a cut into a post into an illegal screen. Idlet and Hummer traded misses inside before Mavraides fouled Hurtt and his two free throws provided Tulsa with their first lead since the 17:57 mark of the second half.
It didn't last long. Maddox drove from the top and was fouled by Richard, converting both free throws. for a 61-61 count.
A left wing three from Haralson came high to Maddox in traffic. Mavraides was able to turn the corner and drive for a scoop, which Haralson answered quickly as Shane Heirman pushed the ball up to find Haralson on the right wing.
Hummer scored with his right on a hook and Princeton called a time out up one with 2:33 to go.
Idlet was forced left, further out than he might have liked and Connolly rebounded. Unable to get Hummer or Maddox in the post, Mavraides drove and was fouled hard by Hurtt. Both free throws went down and Princeton was in a familiar position, up with the ball at the end of the frame.
Out of another time out, a spinning Mavraides came up short and Saunders controlled, but his follow try was no good. Idlet's layup with :29.1 showing set the score at 67-66.
Tulsa immediately fouled Davis in the backcourt and Davis' uncharacteristic afternoon continued when his first free throw barely grazed the front iron. The second was perfect for a two point lead.
Idlet was 6-12 from the free throw line to this point and as soon as Idlet got the ball on the block, Connolly was instructed by Johnson to foul the Hurricane big man with 10 seconds showing.
Past performance was not indicative of future results as Idlet knocked down both his attempts to knot the score for an eighth time.
"That was completely my call and it backfired," Johnson admitted.
Davis drove the length of the court and pulled up, his jumper short. Connolly rebounded and his try to win the game also came up short as time ran out. Double overtime.
Johnson liked what he saw from his team as they huddled up with five more minutes to play. "The body language and the belief in each other is there," he detected. "There's a belief that we can do this. That's all I saw - here's the play: let's be confident, let's be smart, make the right basketball IQ kind of play but we can do this. You can see a look in all the guys' eyes that says 'yeah, you're telling us something we already know.'"
Idlet put his team up one with a split at the line and Maddox switched the lead back to Princeton's side with a jumper over Richard. It was Richard who came up too strong over Connolly inside before Magley tipped home a follow with his right hand.
Davis' drive in traffic was short and Tulsa would have gone up three on a clear out play for Hurtt if Hummer had not been the last line of defense, standing firm in front of the basket as Hurtt bowled him over for the charge.
Davis drove left for just his second basket of the game and Princeton had a 72-71 lead.
Connolly held Idlet posting and Idlet hit a pair for a 9-15 day at the line and a one point Tulsa lead.
Mavraides' try to take back the advantage was too strong and Hurtt made the Tigers pay with a lefty snake to the hoop.
Maddox isolated Magley and Magley had no choice but to foul. Maddox's first try went in/out and the second went down for a 75-73 game.
Idlet couldn't convert and Richard was fouled on the follow, hitting one of two.
Princeton had the script flipped. Now they were the trailing team, down 76-73 in the final 90 seconds. The Tigers' play calling was perfect.
Overloading the left side of the floor, Maddox had the ball on the right wing one-on-one. If he could sell a pass to the top, he could blow by Richard. Maddox made it seem certain that he was going to do anything a basketball player could do with possession except go hard to his right. Richard was fooled, Maddox was fouled on his way to the tin and converted both free throws. Richard fouled out in the process.
Hurtt drove to his left and was tied up by Hummer as he left his feet. Princeton ball. Less than a minute to go.
Maddox again was isolated on the right wing and this time went around Richard's replacement for a reverse layup.
This newfound lead was again short-lived. Hurtt drove fast, was fouled by Saunders and put his team up 78-77 with 28 seconds still to unfold.
Davis was 2-12 from the floor in his 41 minutes of action, a miserable afternoon of short jumpers and bad ideas. There was nothing wrong with Davis stopping and popping at the free throw line for a pure jumper that sent Princeton back in front with 13 seconds left.
"[Doug] had a rough shooting night and a couple of his decisions that I was wishing he made differently, but at the end of the day he can make shots and he was able to knock some down," Johnson said.
The ball was going to Idlet and the ball went to Idlet. His up and under move on Connolly did not fool the Princeton big man, who stood his ground as the ball sailed off the backboard and down to T.J. Bray flashing to the weak side.
Bray was fouled by Bryson Pope with a second left and missed his first try but made his second. Maduka inbounded and threw a hail mary pass intended for the opposite side of the court. It was rudely interrupted in its high trajectory by the scoreboard hanging over the Reynolds Center. With the scoreboard being out of play in the same way that the baseline or sideline are, the ball went to Princeton where Tulsa had inbounded. Maddox was fouled as Princeton threw in and converted both tries to finally put the Hurricane away.
Notes:
-Princeton shot 27-63 for the game (42.9%), 6-13 in the overtime periods (46.2%). The Tigers went 4-16 from three (25.0%) and did not attempt a trey in OT. 24-30 shooting at the line (78.6%) was a big reason why Princeton was victorious.
-Tulsa was 26-67 (38.8%), 7-15 outside (46.7%) and 19-30 on free throws (63.3%) with Idlet 11-18 (61.1%). The Hurricane had a 46-36 edge on the glass and grabbed 16 offensive boards. Clarkson was their leading scorer with 25. Idlet finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
-Princeton only had seven assists on 27 baskets and committed just nine turnovers in 50 minutes of action. In the second half and both overtimes their turnover percentage was a stellar 8.5%.
-The Tigers are over 70% from the free throw line again as a team, and perhaps more importantly have attempted 37 more free throws than their opponents.
-Maddox's 31 points now means four Tigers are averaging double figures in scoring for the season.
-Starting Tulsa guard Jordan Clarkson hurt his ankle late in the first half and did not return. He was replaced by Heirman, who had one turnover in 36 minutes of action before cramping up in the final two minutes of the second OT.
-The Tigers last had three overtime wins in the 2005-06 season (vs. Columbia, at Cornell in double OT and vs. Penn). It is the first time Princeton has recorded three OT victories versus non-conference foes in the same season in program history.
