box score
audio - coach sydney johnson, kyle koncz & zach finley
"Right now, we just need 40 minutes of good basketball and we're getting 29 or 33 or 36." said Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson after his Tigers dropped a 65-55 decision to Seton Hall on Wednesday night. "Somewhere around the corner, it is coming. Hard work pays off."
It was a short stretch right before halftime that did in the Tigers at Jadwin Gym.
Seton Hall's Bobby Gonzalez preaches that his team must win the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. The Pirates were victorious during this stretch as they opened up a 23-21 game with an 8-0 run to finish the first half following Noah Savage's right-handed jump hook out of the post that pulled Princeton within two.
Savage finished with 15 points, a total equaled by fellow Princeton co-captain Kyle Koncz. Center Zach Finley had 14 points and 11 rebounds inside for the home team.
Finley's performance was the first double-double by a Princeton player since Judson Wallace scored 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds at Duke on January 5th, 2005. The 11 rebounds were the most for a Tiger since Wallace snatched 14 in a double-overtime victory over Davidson three days before Princeton played the Blue Devils during that same season.
Eugene Harvey's game-high 20 points on 7-9 shooting paced the Pirates.
The loss was Princeton's fourth straight. "I don't want our guys to ever get comfortable with that losing feeling." Said Johnson. "It's not Princeton basketball."
Seton Hall started the game on a 12-5 run, An offensive rebound by John Garcia and a layup by Eugene Harvey after Zach Finley had the ball stripped from him down low caused Johnson to call a thirty second time out.
Princeton responded with five quick points of their own. Kyle Koncz drifted behind a high screen for the Tigers' first three point shot of the game. When Harvey lost the ball on the next Seton Hall possession, it pinballed to Kevin Steuerer near midcourt. Steuerer dove to the floor and was able to shovel the ball into the arms of Lincon Gunn, who whipped a diagonal pass to Koncz on the other side of the basket for a layup.
Koncz' second straight three pointer made the score 17-15 Pirates at the 9:19 mark.
After Savage's hook made it a one possession game again, Seton Hall got out in transition for a series of quick and easy baskets. Larry Davis went with a crossover jumper on the baseline to make the lead four. Brian Laing stole the ball from Kevin Steuerer and flushed it home with two hands. A Koncz three was wide left and down at the other end of the court Eugene Harvey's touch pass rewarded Laing inside. Steuerer turned the ball over a second time and Lang finished a break with his third straight basket to send the Tigers into the locker room down 10.
Princeton shot 9-20 from the field in the first half (45.0%) and the Tigers were 2-5 from outside (40.0%). Seton Hall did almost all of their damage from inside the arc, shooting 14-25 (56.0%) from the floor and 1-8 (12.5%) from three.
It was Tiger ball immediately after intermission. Savage pulled up on the right baseline for a soft jumper to take the lead down to single digits. Garcia missed inside for Seton Hall, but the Tigers could not control the rebound, leading to a Harvey putback. The advantage reached 12 on a Harvey lay-in.
Princeton trailed 35-24 with 18:14 left in regulation following a Finley free throw. This was the start of a four minute stretch where neither team could find the bottom of the basket. The Tigers missed four consecutive three point shots and seven straight field goals. Seton Hall could only manage two shots during this time, turning the ball over on three possessions and missing two free throws.
The scoreboard started moving again when Harvey converted two free throws at the 14:04 mark and Paul Gause's first three point shot of the game sent the Tigers down 16. Seton Hall's lead would reach 18 on another Gause three with 12:01 to go. Gause scored all 12 of his points in the second half.
The Tigers closed the deficit to 10 with five minutes remaining when Lincoln Gunn drove the lane and found Marcus Schroeder in the far corner for his only field goal on the night, but Harvey quickly answered with another of his driving layups.
Noah Savage hoisted up three consecutive three point shots in a 34 second span as the Tigers fouled to keep the clock from running dry. Princeton was able to close to within 61-53 on Savage's third outside connection. Seton Hall knocked down six straight free throws to counter Savage's display. Two Brian Laing free throws took the lead back up to 10 and when Savage's fourth try was deflected by Paul Gause, all the Pirates had to do was run the game's final thirty seconds off the clock.
Notes:
-Seton Hall coach Bobby Gonzalez celebrated the birth of his first child, a daughter named Brooke Kimberley Gonzalez on Wednesday morning. A superstitious Gonzalez kept this news a secret from both his team and the media until after the Princeton game had ended.
-The Pirates improved to 6-0 this season. This is Seton Hall's best start since 1988-89.
-Princeton had 14 turnovers, with 10 of those coming in the first half. The Tigers have 81 turnovers over six games this season.
-The Tigers shot 23-52 from the field (44.2%) and had seven more field goal tries than the Pirates. Seton Hall was 24-45 for the game (53.3%).
-Seton Hall attempted 18 free throws, making 13. Princeton went to the line just six times with three conversions.
-Zach Finley had to leave the game at the 15:38 mark of the second half because of a bloodied nose. He would return three minutes later.
-Center Pawel Buczak suited up for the first time this season, playing 7 minutes off the bench. Buczak looked tentative on offense, passing up open shots inside the paint and on the perimeter.
-Michael Strittmatter was in street clothes for the sixth straight game. This time he was joined by freshman Dan Marvaides.
-The Tigers' first shot clock violation of 2007-08 came early in the first half.
-Princeton's next chance comes against another in-state Big East rival, the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers. The Tigers travel up Route 27 for a 2:00 pm ET game on Saturday.
