For the third straight season, Mercer County Community College scrimmaged the Princeton JV at Jadwin Gym. This game remains an enjoyable opportunity to watch two teams that run similar offenses face off and is also a chance to observe several Tigers in action that have seen limited playing time this season.
The game tipped in front of single digits on Friday afternoon four hours before the varsity and Harvard would do battle.
Princeton's starting five included Tom Noonan (wearing #24). The freshman from Bucks County had a team high 19, including five three pointers as he switched between the post and the perimeter.
Chris Clement (sporting #12) was one of the Tigers' guards. Eventually tweaking an ankle that kept him out of uniform on Saturday versus Dartmouth, Clement finished with seven and did not look to shoot often when he had the ball.
Jimmy Sherburne (#11) was the other half of Princeton's backcourt. Sherburne scored 16 split evenly between the two halves.
As you can see, the JV continues to wear the varsity's 2007-08 uniforms, identifiable by the "VBK" patch honoring Butch van Breda Kolff above the right breast.
I'd estimate junior John Comfort (#15) missed his first eight tries until a three pointer that provided his team a 36-19 edge right before the half. Comfort concluded with nine points on the day.
The Princeton bench went two deep, one of whom was Jason "Baby Wally" Liberman (#25) - someone I thought long since graduated. Liberman had two points - left alone inside late in the second half. The other bench player's first name was Amir (#10). That's all I could find out about him. He scored four.
Like Brendan Connolly in last season's matchup, Mercer had trouble with Daniel Edwards' size. Edwards scored nine of his 11 in the first half and tallied eight of the first 10 Princeton points. Edwards is not a great leaper and he does not have Connolly's hands, but does have a softer than expected outside touch.
Trailing 8-6, the Tigers went on a 13-0 run capped by Noonan's tip of an errant three point try.
I don't know if he's been a JV regular this season, but Ben Hazel did stroll in wearing street clothes and an Atlanta Braves baseball cap midway through the first half and sat himself on the Tiger bench.
Like Brian Earl two seasons ago and Scott Greenman last year, in 2010-11 it is Martin Bahar's turn to coach the JV.
It was amusing to hear Bahar and Mercer head man Howie Levy call out plays only to see their opposite respond with the correct counter immediately. There was some good-natured jesting occurring on the sidelines.
Levy had his team stay at Jadwin for the night's main event, enjoying a meal at the Backcourt Bistro after hitting the showers.
Here's Noonan guarding Mercer's Rodney Walters. Viking forward Gary Carthan, who could have helped his team considerably at both ends, did not suit up for the exhibition, still recovering from a shoulder injury.
Anthony Obery's 19 led MCCC in defeat. A backdoor reverse by Obery cut Princeton's 21 point second half lead down to 60-53.
Noonan ended Mercer's 20-6 run by canning a triple with a hand in his face and Jonathan Jernigan could not answer from the top of the arc for the visitors.
A late Sherburne trey provided the final margin.
Assistant coach Brian Earl posts manager/JV assistant coach Lawrence Schuler after the game.
While the late game drama of the prior two contests was lacking - Mack Darrow had to make two free throws to ice a 84-79 Princeton win last season and Bobby Foley's seventh three pointer permitted the Tigers to escape 81-78 in 2009 - an earlier than usual trip to Jadwin was a worthwhile one.
Pictures courtesy of Stephen Goldsmith.
