Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson & Kareem Maddox:
Stop for a second and don't look at tonight. The moment isn't there. Don't think about Kareem Maddox's meritable stat line and his game-winning jumper with 10 seconds left off a breaking design. That's not the moment. Don't consider Princeton's two point win over Cornell at all.
Look at January 30th, 2010 in New Haven. There you'll find the moment.
The moment comes late in the first half, with Princeton up one over Yale. Marcus Schroeder finds Kareem Maddox inside and the junior forward goes up with a high right-handed jump hook.
That's the moment where Kareem Maddox knew - knew he wasn't a jump shooter, knew he was wasting his time on the perimeter, knew the coaches had been right all along.
Without that moment Kareem Maddox doesn't go for 23 points, six rebounds, three assists, four blocks and a steal as a senior this evening. Without that moment Princeton doesn't improve to 19-4 and 7-0 in the Ivy League.
Maddox could have selected any moment when asked about a point where the switch flipped and he turned the proverbial corner from athlete to basketball player. This is the moment he chose.
"The coaches had been telling me that I could be a post player for the past few years and I guess that never clicked," Maddox recalled. "I made that hook and as silly as it sounds I think that changed me into a more of a post player than a shooter."
Following Maddox's jumper - which broke the game's 10th and final tie, Chris Wroblewski drove down the left baseline and dumped the ball inside to Adam Wire. A deflection placed the ball behind Wire's back on the ground in the lane. Mark Coury picked up the ball and went up to even the score, only to be blocked by Maddox. The swat came to Errick Peck, who quickly passed off to Drew Ferry on the left wing before time finally ran out. Ferry's potential game-winner sailed left of the mark.
Maddox ran up the left sideline to the Tiger bench as he roared, shook, bellowed and flexed simultaneously. Princeton had survived, sweeping the Columbia/Cornell road trip for the first time since 2004.
"He did just about everything. He's come a long way," head coach Sydney Johnson said of his senior tri-captain, stating that he hadn't seen anyone in the Ivy League like Maddox before, able to impact the game in so many ways.
A contest where neither team led by more than six throughout opened with Patrick Saunders' posting jumper over Wroblewski missing the mark. Ian Hummer grabbed the offensive rebound, then barrelled into his man for an offensive foul.
Brendan Connolly got caught between Peck and Josh Figini and the former fed the latter for a two-handed slam.
Douglas Davis to a cutting Saunders backdoor evened the score.
Peck's jumper at the free throw line was answered by Davis spinning right into a jumper over Jake Matthews.
Connolly inside used his soft hands for 6-4, a spinning Peck going high off the glass by Hummer to equal.
The first time Maddox entered off the bench, in for Saunders with 15:53 left in the half, Maddox went into the post and found the 6'0" 175 lb Wroblewski behind him. Maddox tried to take advantage of the height/weight mismatch but lost the ball straight up into the air.
Following a Ferry missed three, Dan Mavraides pushed the ball and located Connolly open by the hoop. All Connolly had to do was make his location known, turn to the basket and flush the ball in.
Wroblewski's reverse flip knotted the affair 8-8.
Maddox went to his right off the glass as Wroblewski fouled him, completing a three point play.
The Tiger defense was stout but Cornell stayed with their offense for all 35 seconds. With two on the shot clock Johnathan Gray drove for a basket.
Wire stole the ball from Maddox, but Davis took possession back from Wire coming up the floor. Davis went over the top to Hummer ahead of the pack for a two-handed slam.
Princeton could not corral a loose ball and Mark Coury drove left and finished left to just beat the shot clock a second time.
Freshman guard Ben Hazel's push with one on the shot clock hit the front rim. Davis took control back when he stole the ball from Max Groebe. The Tiger possession ended when Maddox on the left block dished up to Mack Darrow for a long jumper inside the three point line.
Grobe just missed by a fraction from outside and Cornell did not pick up Davis as Princeton came up court. His open three wouldn't drop, but Gray's triple in transition did - the only three pointer in the first half for either team.
A lob cut from Darrow to Maddox made it a 17-15 Princeton advantage with 9:21 showing.
Maddox blocked a Coury layup try from behind and Wire fouled Davis on an up/under move with one on the shot clock. Both free throws provided the Tigers their first two possession advantage.
When Maddox brought the ball up and from half court drove past Manny Sahota trying to defend the lead was 21-15.
Wroblewski picked up his dribble in the center of the lane with Maddox on him, then patiently waited for Sahota to slice down the left side of the paint, take a close pass and score off the glass.
Davis lost the ball, leading to Wroblewski driving one-on-one at Connolly. Using his 10" height advantage, Connolly did nothing risky and timed his block well, controlling the swat. Heading the other way, a posting Maddox took a Mavraides feed, spun to the bucket and dunked with two hands.
Peck faced up Mavraides and fired on the right baseline, his shot rattling home after the whistle. The foul was Mavraides' second and to the bench he headed. The free throw was good.
A rushed deuce by Darrow was way short late in the shot clock. Ferry's tying try sailed long.
Maddox traveled on his first move and Coury's right hook over Darrow drew Cornell within one.
Hummer in the post kicked up to Darrow at the top. His shot went long and Maddox skied upwards for the offensive rebound, fouled by Ferry as he tried to score. Maddox made one of two at the line.
A catch and shoot three by Groebe was a shoot and miss three by Groebe. A posting Maddox threw a crossing pass high to Connolly who was able to catch and score over his man.
Coury took a short jumper in the lane as Maddox guarded the hoop and the shot went in.
Hummer fed Connolly inside and Connolly momentarily lost the ball, regained and scored before the shot clock could expire. It was 28-24 Tigers.
Cornell missed three shots behind the arc in the final 75 seconds. Hummer's drive to his right after showing to his left was blocked by Peck. A wild Maddox attempt had no chance. The score stayed the same at the break.
At the half the Tigers were shooting 12-24 as a team (50.0%), 0-4 from three point range. Princeton was 4-5 at the line (80.0%). Maddox had 10 of his team's points, Connolly eight.
Cornell went 11-28 (39.3%), 1-10 from deep (10.0%) and 1-1 on free throws. Peck led the way with seven.
The Big Red scored five straight to open the second half. Peck lost the ball and Saunders picked it up on the bounce. Hummer went left on Wroblewski but his try was short. Davis grabbed an offensive rebound but could not convert a short jumper.
Wroblewski's left baseline drive made it a two point game.
A key sequence saw Mavraides unable to convert a floated, grab his own miss and spin out a second try. The ball came to Figini and Mavraides fouled him on the baseline, his third personal in 12 minutes of action. Mavraides was lost for the foreseeable future, Davis replacing him.
"Dan being out of the game is a problem for us, because he keeps everyone composed in addition to what he does offensively and defensively - it's trouble," considered Maddox.
The answer to Mavraides' absence was everyone. "I think we spread it out amongst ourselves," said Maddox. "Everyone was calming each other down and telling us to get into stuff and getting our assignments right on defense."
Figini's left wing three over Connolly returned the lead to Cornell.
With Mavraides out, Johnson began to manage the game well - bringing Will Barrett in for the first time and later utilizing T.J. Bray and Hazel on defense when he could sneak them out.
Barrett's pass inside a Cornell defender from the top of the key to the left arc was fired up and in by Davis in motion for Princeton's lone three of the game.
Maddox spun away from Wroblewski and was fouled on the arm by Figini, making one of two at the line.
A long catch and shoot Wroblewski jumper made it 32-31 Tigers. A Hazel three on the left side went further left. Princeton played 35 seconds of stellar defense. Then Gray ignited the crowd with a spinning, fading, falling three point shot off the right wing that missed so badly it actually deflected off the backboard and in as the shot clock buzzer sounded. The 4,087 at Newman Arena erupted and it started to feel more than ever like this was Cornell's night.
Barrett lost the ball to Ferry, passing up to Gray. Hazel could not slide in front of the drive in time and Gray went to the line, where he split a pair.
Hummer's pass on the right wing was deflected by Figni and before it could land on the baseline Ferry saved the ball over his head with one flick and back into play. An eager crowd, already excited by Gray's accidental three, was delighted.
Figni drove the left baseline and was blocked strong by Maddox. Unfortunately, Barrett also got him with the body and the result was two Cornell free throws and a 37-32 Big Red lead.
Cornell started to press Princeton full court and the Tigers ran a designed press break where Maddox just over half court on the near side found Darrow in the center down to a cutting Davis for two. Johnson called an immediate time out.
Mavraides' return did not last long. Coming off the bench at 14:27, he was whistled for a fourth personal guarding Gray with 12:50 to go. Bray replaced him.
When Coury in the lane dished to an oncoming Peck for a big dunk as Maddox stuck with the driving Coury the Big Red lead was a game-best 40-34.
Maddox in the right block found Darrow cutting off the glass to his right and Coury picked up the personal. After the three point play Wroblewski made a t.o.u.g.h. jumper over Hazel's defense. A nice entry from Hummer came to Maddox going left and scoring amid the red sea. Gray fouled him and Maddox converted his bonus.
Hummer to a posting Maddox received the return on a cut and threw the ball up over his head at the rim as Wire fouled him. The attempt did not drop but both free throws did for a 42-up tie.
Following a turning Wire jumper which was short, a posting Hummer went to Darrow on the drive and Darrow left the ball to Maddox, fouled by Wire. Both free throws were good and a 10-2 run sent Princeton back in front.
The last 10 minutes of the game felt like the last two minutes of a tight affair multiplied by five.
Bray pushed Peck on a slip and Peck made both ends of a one and one.
Hazel's pull up three was ill-advised. Wrobewski got Davis in the air with a fake and connected on a sounder thought inside the arc. When Princeton inbounded the ball Davis under pressure threw a pass to Hummer that hit the left sideline unintentionally, one of 11 second half Tiger miscues.
The smaller Hazel absorbed a Wire charge inside to give the ball back to the Tigers.
Hummer could not score with his left so Maddox beat Cornell to the ball and finished in low as Peck fouled him. Maddox's free throw made it 47-46 Tigers.
Cornell did not get a shot off before the shot clock ran out. Princeton beat the :35 count when Darrow steadied his way to the glass for two.
Groebe's try from outside was long and Peck pushed Hummer with two hands in the back on the rebound, Cornell's 11th of the half. Hummer was delighted to go to the other side of the gym and made both free throws for a five point Princeton lead at the 6:43 mark.
Leading 51-46, season-altering disaster nearly struck. Hummer blocked a Peck layup try and saved the ball over the baseline to Bray as he fell. While Bray dribbled up the floor, Hummer lay on the ground clutching his left elbow in considerable pain. He did not get up for two minutes as Princeton trainer Jen Lister raced from the Tiger bench. Eventually Hummer rose and walked off on his own power, still holding his left arm. Any high fives offered were accepted with his right paw.
Mavraides returned during this stoppage with 6:24 to go. When play resumed Davis had a good look up top but could not connect.
Wroblewski drove left and was fouled by Bray. The 81.8% free throw shooter had no difficulties at the line.
Now wearing a beige sleeve on his left arm, Hummer toughed it out and returned to the floor.
Bray drove right from the arc and was fouled by Wroblewski, making both free throws for his only points of the game.
Coury in deep scored as Hummer fouled him, converting the free throw for a 53-51 game.
Up two, Princeton had three straight turnovers. Hummer's pass from the post was intercepted by Ferry, who could not can a too-tough jumper in transition.
Darrow's entry pass was poked away by Coury before it reached Hummer and Peck tied the game with a reverse.
A potentially thrilling combo move between Mavraides and Hummer was foiled by Wroblewski, but Peck's right elbow jumper went long.
Wroblewski turned the corner to his left and looked sure to break the tie with a layup. Then Maddox closed from out of the frame and blocked the scoop with a long arm into Darrow's hands.
At the other end Maddox drove on Coury from the arc and got inside the Cornell forward as he achieved contact. No whistle followed and Maddox's drive was blocked by Peck at the rim.
Johnson was less than thrilled that Wroblewski's drive to his left with Hazel guarding earned a whistle despite apparently equal contact. Wroblewski made both his free throws for a 55-53 Cornell lead at the 2:29 mark.
Maddox went to his left and scored with his left as Groebe fouled him. Maddox could not give his team a lead and the game was knotted yet again.
With Maddox now guarding him, drives did not come as easy for Wroblewski. The junior guard had to settle for a blind jumper over Maddox's reach that nearly banked in loudly - the rebound instead coming to Bray.
Setting up in the right block, a Maddox pass back outside was read and robbed by Wroblewski. Cornell called time with the ball and 1:07 on the scoreboard.
Maddox stayed on Wroblewski and Coury's hook shot from the right baseline went too long into Mavraides' hands.
It was Princeton's turn to use a time out, their last of the game, with :39.4 on the clock and :31 to shoot.
An inbounding Mavraides found Davis in the backcourt. The ball came to Maddox on the left side and nothing materialized. Mavraides was isolated with the ball at the top guarded by Wroblewski as Princeton went four wide and options dwindled.
Maddox came up from the left to set a Mavraides screen with the shot clock in single digits. Mavraides on the dribble cleared out Maddox at the top and Maddox drove into the lane from the perimeter where he had once wasted his time and stopped. Maddox squared, rose up and the player who a year ago considered himself more of a shooter than a post presence hung in the air for a frozen, floating jumper that won the game.
Now you can think about tonight. Now you can think about how Princeton dug in their heels, kept their composure, did not give in and found a way to win for the ninth straight time.
Enjoy the moment.
It wasn't Kareem Maddox's moment. That didn't happen tonight.
This moment just wasn't possible without him.
Notes:
-Princeton shot 20-42 on the evening (47.6%), 1-8 from three (12.5%) and 16-19 on free throws (84.2%). It was the fourth time in the last 15 years the Tigers have only made one three pointer in a game. Davis finished with nine and Connolly stayed on eight.
-Cornell was 20-51 from the floor (39.2%), 3-17 outside the arc (17.6%). The Big Red came into Saturday hitting 37.5% of their three point tries. Cornell made 12-14 free throws (85.7%).
-Princeton's 18 turnovers were the most by a Tiger team since late December at Wagner.
-The win was Sydney Johnson's first at Cornell in four tries as Princeton's head coach.
-The Tigers did not score 60 points or more in a game for the first time this season.
-Ben Hazel's 20 minutes of action were a career high.
-Mavraides (0-4) went scoreless for the first time since the CBI game against Duquesne, where he was 0-5 from the floor in 25 minutes.
-Princeton finished the five games/nine days Ivy League gauntlet a perfect 5-0 for the first time since the 1997-98 season.
