Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Dan Mavraides, Kareem Maddox & Douglas Davis:
Locker room audio - Kareem Maddox:
Locker room audio - Dan Mavraides:
Locker room audio - Coach Sydney Johnson:
When it ended, one basket shy of all they had worked for, the man who profoundly despised losing as both a player and a coach did something unexpected and beautiful.
He allowed his team to say goodbye.
Before heading back into the depths of the St. Pete Times Forum after a two point defeat in the final two seconds against the SEC champion Kentucky Wildcats, Princeton coach Sydney Johnson motioned his players not to the locker room but towards the Tiger faithful sitting across from his team's bench.
First came senior Dan Mavraides, having just concluded his final collegiate contest wherein he led his team with 14 points and tied the game on a step back jumper in the lane that hung, hoped and stuck with 34 seconds remaining for a 57-57 score.
Mavraides blew kisses with both hands, his teammates joining him pointing to family and friends applauding in the stands.
"It was hard to do that. But I felt like we owed it to our fans. We didn't want to celebrate a loss in any way, shape or form," Johnson said of the gesture. "That's not what it was about."
"As much as I love our guys, they have to realize that we're all people and we've all got to do things the right way. When someone is giving you the support that our fans have given us, you've got to say thank you," Johnson added.
"You can't take that for granted."
Princeton bottled up Kentucky’s stellar freshman guard Brandon Knight for the entire afternoon, but Knight converted a tough layup over Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Kareem Maddox with two seconds to go for his only points, giving the Wildcats a 59-57 victory and ending the Tigers’ season at 25-7.
Maddox tried to force Knight to his left but Knight was able to go the other direction and scoop a shot off the glass to change the day’s lead for an eighth and final time.
"He went right and he wasn't supposed to go that way," said a teary Maddox in the Princeton locker room. "It is 100% my fault."
"I think it was a difficulty 10 layup," assessed Mavraides. "Kareem is our longest, biggest defender. There is no one else I would rather have on [Knight] driving to the basket in that late game situation."
Mavraides’ step back jumper in the lane had drawn Princeton even with :34 to go.
Needing to go full court with two ticks showing to win the game, Princeton's Will Barrett had trouble inbounding and the Tigers were unable to manage better than a Maddox shot from half court that left the senior’s hand after time expired.
Perhaps overwhelmed by the scope of the moment, the Tigers fell behind 11-2 five minutes in. Open shots that had dropped all season were a fraction off as Kentucky scored on six of seven possessions following a pair of misses for both squads. Wildcat senior big man Josh Harrellson - a lone upperclassman on a team full of superstar freshmen - finished with his left hand deep under the basket over Patrick Saunders to send Princeton down nine.
"It was kind of neat," Johnson said after the game. "When I pulled Dan and Doug [Davis] over and I said 'fellas, we're getting what we want. We're in good shape" They were nodding like 'I know coach!" Even though we were down we felt like we were in the game. There was no lack of belief there."
"11-2, that was a moment in time."
The clock ticked forward when Maddox knocked down a jumper over Harrellson and the Tigers began to settle in. Sure, Darius Miller's drive and flip to Harrellson kept the deficit the same, but the offense began to find its opportunities.
"I think the thing with our team is our experience," Maddox said. "We weren't worried about it. We knew the stage was a little bit bigger and this was the SEC champion, but we just kind of stuck with it. We've been down before. Let's just play."
Play they did. Maddox back cut behind Harrellson and laid home a Saunders diagonal pass.
Miller's shot at the top of the arc popped out and at the other end Mavraides was able to regain a feed and curl around Harrellson for a 13-8 count.
"Once we got a couple easy layups and started running our offense and doing what we do, we calmed down," said Mavraides.
A lumbering Harrellson was stripped by Douglas Davis who rifled an outlet pass to Ian Hummer for a three point game.
Mavraides looked to have tied up Miller in the lane but Miller ripped the ball free before a whistle could sound and scored as Davis fouled him. Kentucky had a 16-10 lead with 11:23 showing.
Freshman guard T.J. Bray and Hummer both were drawn to Knight, leaving Miller open again. Miller's wing triple did not fall and a confident Will Barrett drove from the left wing and finished wrapping the ball around the rim as Eloy Vargas fouled him. Barrett's free throw again brought Princeton within one possession.
Doron Lamb responded with a jumper in the lane despite Davis' hand directly in his face.
Trailing 19-13, Davis scored 11 straight for the Tigers.
Davis used a Connolly screen and converted a rainbow jumper inside the arc. After a Terrence Jones free throw Davis did it again, going to his left behind Connolly for a second shot from the wing.
Knight missed inside and Davis took a handoff screen from Connolly and launched off the left arc for his team's first three point shot of the afternoon and a 20-20 score. Kentucky called time out.
When play resumed Lamb used a crossover and went into the lane at Hummer for a pair.
Davis answered, fouled by Lamb as he hopped up at the free throw line. Davis was perfect at the stripe.
Lamb could not score but Davis stopped on the right side for his fourth straight jumper and Princeton's first lead at 24-22 with 4:05 left.
Jones went to the glass inside to tie the game a third time.
Princeton and Kentucky continued to play as equals. Maddox went left and got Jones in the air for his second personal. Two free throws later the Tigers were up 26-24.
Miller drove to his right high off the glass at Connolly for another tie.
A quick curl to Hummer inside was blocked by Harrellson and Miller backed in Mavraides for a bucket.
Davis' hanging jumper in the lane equalized.
With just over two minutes left in the half Miller connected on the top, firing home a pass by Knight.
Maddox and Mavraides had a similar combination, the former passing left to the latter for a three in the left corner.
Kentucky nearly committed a backcourt violation on their next possession. Lamb tried to save the ball but lobbed it right to Mavraides who found Maddox ahead of Lamb for a two handed slam.
Knight could not connect outside but Miller rebounded the short effort. Deandre Liggins on the right wing rose as Barrett tried to get out on him and the Wildcats had a 34-33 lead at the break. Princeton was unable to get off an attempt on their final possession.
The Tigers shot 13-27 in the first half (48.1%), 2-7 from three point range (28.6%) and 5-5 at the line (100.0%). Davis had 13 points in the final 10 minutes to lead Princeton.
Kentucky was 13-24 from the field (54.2%) after starting 5-7. The Wildcats went 3-6 outside (50.0%) and 5-7 on free throws (71.4%). Miller had 15, high man on either side.
The two teams evenly split 26 rebounds.
Miller and Davis traded outside misses when play resumed. Hummer blocked Liggins' dunk try on the left baseline, which Saunders controlled. Connolly was unable to put Princeton up with a short hook using a shoulder fake and after Saunders picked up a steal Mavraides froze Knight on the right wing and fired a three pointer over him to give Princeton the lead back.
Up two, Princeton had three chances to expand their advantage. Davis tried a quick three, which Connolly kept with the Tigers. Saunders' entry to Connolly bounded to Harrellson and Connolly also could not convert a jumper from the free throw line.
Lamb drove and dished to Harrellson who scored as Mavraides slapped his arm for a three point play.
Maddox returned to the floor in place of Saunders and knocked down a jumper from outside his traditional range. Mavraides tipped the ball free from Miller to Maddox who sent an outlet to a streaking Mavraides. The layup try was too strong but Hummer raced in to tip the ball home on the other side of the rim.
Kentucky continued to take the shots Princeton wanted them to take. Knight used a series of screens and fired behind Harrellson but his shot remained off the mark. Again Mavraides attacked the lane and this time successfully shoved a pass to Connolly for a point blank layup. Kentucky called time, suddenly down 42-37 with 13:27 to go.
A seemingly spent Mavraides was replaced on defense by Bray for a possession. Miller's tough, long two over Maddox from up top went down. A Mavraides pass to Maddox was tipped out of bounds with four on the shot clock. Mavraides' inbounds came to Connolly on the far side and Connolly had no choice but to drive to beat the buzzer and his runner bounded home as the horn rang.
Liggins jumped into the lane and dished to Harrellson for a score. Mavraides open three across from the Princeton bench looked on target but just skipped wide as Mavraides ran back down the floor sure his shot was pure.
An awkward shot from Lamb landed on the back iron and rolled forward through the net. Davis' tough jumper did not fall and Lamb drove by Davis to the rack to give Kentucky the lead again.
Hummer rolled to the basket and kicked to Bray standing flat on the far side. Bray's midrange open jumper did not go. Quickly, Maddox stole a Lamb pass and went strong to his left, the layup just short of the mark.
Going the other way Liggins drove left and bounced a loud pass to Harrellson for a layup that concluded an 8-0 Kentucky run.
Mavraides' inbounding under the Princeton basket to Connolly was stolen by Harrellson but Miller's deep three on the left wing sailed long.
Mavraides atoned by blowing by Harrellson for a baseline reverse and a one point game with 7:46 left in a taut ballgame.
On Kentucky's next two possessions Miller drove and dished to teammates eager to fire on the perimeter. Jones over Hummer on the wing made it 50-46 Wildcats. Following a Hummer basket keeping his pivot versus Jones Miller penetrated a second time and set up Liggins launching over an outstretched Maddox for a 53-48 count.
Maddox in the left post found Hummer cutting right for a layup at the 5:11 mark. Hummer, who looked to have a block earlier in the game that came after a holding foul on Davis, finally got his rejection - stopping a Harrellson hook with his hand that Barrett picked off the ground.
Hummer curled to his left by Jones and was fouled, splitting a pair at the line.
A wild shot from Lamb did not go but Knight kept possession with Kentucky. Knight's teardrop went long and a bad shot was rewarded when Harrellson laid the miss home in traffic, fouled by Bray. Harrellson would miss his free throw.
Princeton outrebounded Kentucky 28-26 but Harrellson had 10 boards including four second chances.
"That was a problem," Johnson stated. "We got them doing what we wanted then Harrellson was great keeping plays alive and sparking them. If not for him, we could have gotten some separation. We just never could do that enough to win the game."
Mavraides' push shot banker in the lane drew Princeton within two. Liggins appeared to travel but pulled the ball off his hip driving left for a shot off the glass. Kentucky held a four point lead in the final two minutes.
Towards the end of Princeton's next possession Maddox picked up his dribble and had no choice but to square and shoot over Liggins as he fell backwards. The shot dropped in the netting and Princeton trailed 57-55.
Mavraides chased Knight all around the court and when Knight eventually shot the try was short. Hummer snared the board. Princeton called time with :57.8 on the game clock and :29 on the shot clock.
The ball was going to a senior, the only question was which one?
Maddox set a high screen and Mavraides drove to his left as Maddox cut. Mavraides stopped in the lane and sprung backwards away from Liggins for the tying basket.
In their final game for Princeton, it was fitting that both Maddox and Mavraides would each score the final time they had the ball in their hands.
"We finally got our one shot. We worked for it all year," said Maddox." [Dan] stepped up huge. I'm not surprised at all."
Kentucky set up for the final play of regulation. Knight was 0-7 from the floor to this point guarded primarily with brilliance by Mavraides but after Bray switched off for Maddox due to a ball screen Knight was able to bank home his runner over Maddox's fingertips to give the game to the Wildcats.
"It was a tough, tough shot by a kid that we had bottled up pretty much the whole game," said an emotional Johnson. "We felt like was had done an amazing job on him and he just had one more play to make, which he did."
It was an abrupt end to a special senior year for Maddox and Mavraides. Both tried to look at the bigger picture, even though the pain of this last loss was still recent and raw. This senior class leaves Princeton a much different program then the one they entered into four seasons ago.
"I'll remember this for the rest of my life, but I'll also remember the experience that we had and the team we had and playing with these guys too," Maddox reflected. "I'm sure at some point everything will sink in about what a pleasure it was to play here for four years."
"We had a chance to win," Mavraides acknowledged. "Everyone in this locker room believed that coming into this game. It is very disappointing, but stepping back looking at my whole career here at Princeton I can't be angry."
"As much as it hurts right now I'm sure in a couple weeks I'll look back. It was a great experience," Mavraides continued. "It would have been really nice to get a win today, but as a whole looking at this season it was definitely a success."
Success their coach allowed the team to publicly share with their supporters one last time before 2010-11 officially came to an end.
A final memory for a memorable season.
Notes:
-The Tigers shot 24-52 on the day (46.2%), 3-14 from three (21.4%) and 6-7 on free throws (85.7%). Princeton had eight assists and just six turnovers. In addition to Mavraides' 14, Davis added all 13 of his points in the first half, Maddox had 12 off the bench and Hummer 11.
-Kentucky made 24-47 attempts (51.1%), 5-11 outside (45.5%) and 6-11 at the line (54.5%). The Wildcats had 12 assists and nine giveaways. Miller paced three players in double figures with 17, two in the second half.
-The game was played using a season-low 54 possessions.
-Davis concluded his junior season with 1,110 points - good for 15th in program history and 12 behind Chris Thomforde for 14th overall. If Davis can score 436 points as a senior he would pass Kit Mueller for second all-time as a Tiger.
-Mavraides career ended with 1,054 points to his name - 25th overall and 10 points in front of his head coach Sydney Johnson.
-Princeton center Mack Darrow was unable to play on Thursday due to a concussion suffered in practice earlier in the week.
