box score
audio - coach sydney johnson & kyle koncz

Princeton continues to look for the elusive 40 minute game.

"We've had some games where we're right in the mix and whether it is execution on the defensive end and the offensive end" said Tiger head coach Sydney Johnson following Princeton's 67-56 loss to Yale. "We just haven't seized the moment."

Trailing by five points with seven minutes to go, Yale went on a 12-0 run and the Bulldogs finished Friday night's game with a 22-6 rally. "I don't think it is lack of desire" Johnson observed, trying to explain how his team had let the lead slip away. "We just have fallen short consistently."

"We have lapses" bemused senior co-captain Kyle Koncz stated after the game. "We're making the same mistakes over and over again. We're losing guys in the zone. We're not talking."

Koncz scored 12 points and added a career-best 11 rebounds for Princeton. Center Zach Finley also had 12 of his own in defeat.

Yale's Nick Holmes paced four Bulldogs in double figures with 18 points. Travis Pinick scored 11 and grabbed 11 boards while Ross Morin and Caleb Holmes each had 10.

Yale's leading scorer this season, senior guard Eric Flato, curled for an early three point shot that put the Bulldogs in front 7-3 after four minutes of play. Flato finished 2-10 from the field as Princeton did a great job as a team talking Flato out of his comfort zone, cutting off drives and not allowing many open looks at the rim.

The Tigers took the lead back on three straight baskets - a one handed off-balance push shot by Finley, a layup by Koncz when Finley found him cutting from under the Princeton basket and a long diagonal outlet pass by Marcus Schroeder to Kevin Steuerer ahead of the defense.

Yale called time out with 13:08 to play. When the action resumed it was the Bulldogs who scored six straight, going up 13-9 on two Ross Morin free throws.

The next 15 were all Princeton's. Jason Briggs, in for Steuerer, hit off the baseline when a driving Koncz saw him open. Gunn's only three pointer of the night, assisted by Schroeder, pushed the Tigers back in front.

After Koncz kept a Princeton possession alive by slapping out an errant Gunn three pointer, Finley confidently hit a jumper from the free throw line. A midrange Noah Savage basket and a short bank shot by backup center Michael Strittmatter opened up by a Schroeder drive took the lead up to seven.

Koncz stole the ball from Flato and Schroeder threw a home run pass to Gunn for a quick layup.

Alex Zampier missed a three pointer for Yale and while Princeton brought the ball up court Nick Holmes was called for an intentional foul as he took Koncz to the ground behind the play.

As the referees stepped in, Schroeder was whistled for a technical as he brushed by Yale's Matt Kyle. When the dust settled Koncz made both of Princeton's free throws and Flato, a 91% free throw shooter, converted just one of two for the Bulldogs.

Princeton was up 24-14 with 4:39 on the clock.

A half of runs had time for one more. Yale finished the opening frame with an 11-2 spurt. Morin recorded a lay-in and Strittmatter had his pocket picked by Flato over-dribbling outside the arc. Flato passed the ball to Caleb Holmes for two. When Porter Braswell drove the lane and had his arms slapped by Savage, the lead was down to 25-24.

Finley increased the cushion back up to three when he made both ends of a one-and-one but Strittmatter hammered Caleb Holmes from behind under the Yale basket with five seconds left and the two free throws pulled Yale within one at the break.

Princeton was 10-21 from the field in the first 20 minutes (47.6%). The Tigers shot 2-7 from behind the arc (28.6%) and were 5-6 at the free throw line (83.3%). Yale went 9-24 (37.5) while connecting on just one of eight three pointers (12.5%) and had a sub-par 7-13 performance from the stripe (53.8%). The Tigers held an 18-11 edge on the boards.

This game of bursts turned into a back-and-forth affair. There were four lead changes and four ties in the first seven minutes of the second half. Jason Briggs made the first three pointer of his Princeton career from the corner in front of his team's bench to put the Tigers up 36-33 but a spin move by Morin and a Caleb Holmes free throw evened the scoreboard.

Kyle Koncz had a 70 second span that rewarded those who appreciate his ability to quietly change games. Koncz was fouled by Caleb Holmes on a crafty cut and made both free throws. At the other end of the court Koncz slapped the ball down out of a driving Braswell's hands and it deflected out of bounds of of Braswell's torso as Koncz pumped his fist. Strittmatter pulled off a classic Princeton set, dribbling directly at Koncz on the right wing and handing off for a three point shot behind the screen Strittmatter was now setting.

Flato was fouled by Briggs away from the basket but again made only the front end of his one-and-one opportunity. Leading by four, a posting Schroeder passed outside to Strittmatter on the perimeter and a three pointer made the score 44-37 Tigers with 12:29 left to play.

Braswell missed from three and Koncz rebounded. Nick Holmes came over and slapped the ball out of Koncz's hands and drove to the basket. A surprised Koncz slid over to try and take a charge but was too late. Holmes made both free throws and the lead was down to five.

After the game had ended, Yale coach James Jones called this the key play of the night. "Nick's steal really got us going" he said. "It is one of those plays, you go back and you think about the plays that you messed up and it is definitely a play that is going to stick in my mind" acknowledged Koncz.

The Bulldogs used a Pinick basket and a Nick Holmes hesitation drive to creep back within one.

Marcus Schroeder took a Savage pass and set his feet for a three point shot that made the score 47-43. Princeton had a chance to take the lead to five but a perfectly thrown backdoor feed by Finley to Schroeder did not result in points as Schroeder's layup was slightly too strong and rolled off the rim. 94 feet away Matt Kyle completed the four point swing with a layup.

Schroeder dished the ball to Savage on the wing and Princeton was in front by five with 7:14 on the clock.

Yale did not force the issue. Nick Holmes patiently waited for an opening and struck from outside to counter Savage's shot.

Flato, who had been held in check all evening, took advantage of a mismatch on the perimeter. Zach Finley was caught guarding the smaller Flato and hedged towards the paint, cutting off a drive. Flato rose up from well behind the arc, giving Yale the lead at 51-50.

Asked about Flato's shot, Coach Johnson called it "a big play" adding "it seems like there have been some big plays made against us and we just haven't had enough big plays that we've made."

Steuerer was whistled for a hold as Yale looked to inbound under their own basket and both of Nick Holmes' free throws were good. Koncz came up short on a three and Savage committed a needless foul trying to grab an offensive rebound. A Pinick free throw was true and following a baseline drive by Steuerer that was blocked out of bounds by Nick Holmes off of Steuerer, Holmes canned a triple from in front of the Yale bench that made the score 57-50 Bulldogs.

Three point plays by Schroeder and Finley in the final two minutes could not pull Princeton any closer than five and Yale converted its final six free throws to close out the victory.

The Tigers kept the Bulldogs at bay for most of the second half, but it was Yale that seized the moment late, as Princeton again fell short of where they wanted to be.

Notes:

-Princeton shot 9-29 from the floor in the second half (31.0%) and finished at 38.0% from the field.

-Yale attempted 33 free throws to the Tigers' 13.

-Marcus Schroeder dished out six assists and committed just one turnover against the Bulldogs.

-With two made shots on Friday Kyle Koncz has 147 three pointers at a Tiger, eight behind Bob Scrabis for fifth place all-time.

-After a horrendous 1-12 stretch at the free throw line, Zach Finley is now 10-14 (71.4%) from the stripe over his last four games.

-Princeton hosts Craig Robinson and the second place Brown Bears on Saturday night at 7:30 pm ET.