Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson & Doug Davis:
The 40th season of basketball at Jadwin Gym got off to an exciting start on Friday night, as Princeton dropped a 55-53 decision to Central Michigan at the wire.
Like many first games of a campaign across college basketball, the energy level and eagerness was high on both sides, the play heavy on mistakes throughout and the questions moving forward numerous.
What no-one could have expected was Tiger newcomer Doug Davis scoring the most points by a freshman making their debut in Princeton basketball history. The diminutive Davis dropped 25 on 10-21 shooting, connecting four times from the new three point distance and blazing by defenders into the paint. This new benchmark was accompanied by four steals, two assists and six turnovers as Davis played all 40 minutes.
You have to rewind to Bill Bradley's first game in 1962 to find an initial Tiger total that was higher than Davis' dynamic performance. Bradley scored 28 points versus Lafayette during the curtain-raiser of his sophomore season.
Chris Kellermann led all scorers with a career-high 28 points, 19 in the second half, while grabbing a career-best 13 rebounds for the victors. Princeton was unable to account for the big Central Michigan forward with the deft outside touch on defense as Kellermann curled off of multiple screens for five three point shots and posted inside when faced with advantageous match-ups.
"There's stuff that we worked on that they still scored on, and that's tough to take," said Princeton coach Sydney Johnson after the game. "In those moments, we can't have those mental breakdowns."
Princeton took an early 4-0 lead on a turnaround jumper from sophomore Kareem Maddox and a top of the key shot by Davis. As both teams tried to find their rhythm, points were hard to come by. Nearly nine minutes in Central Michigan led 6-4 on put-back from Kellermann.
When Zach Finley, Princeton's leading scorer last season, his left hand taped up due to a injured finger, came into the game at the 11:40 mark, the pace began to gradually heat up. The two teams were even at 14 as Finley stepped into William Eddie's passing lane and intercepted the ball on the arc, dribbling down the court for a layup.
Anotnio Weary and Davis traded three pointers on consecutive possessions and Princeton went back in front 19-17 as Finley tracked down a missed Davis triple and shoveled a pass to freshman Patrick Saunders for his first field goal while wearing orange and black.
Towards the end of the half, Tiger co-captain Jason Briggs dove to the hardwood and out-muscled CMU's Jeremy Allen for a loose ball. This began a Princeton possession that concluded with Davis stepping behind a high screen and canning his third three point shot of his first collegiate first half. The Tigers headed to the locker room leading 23-22.
In the first twenty minutes Princeton was 9-26 from the floor (34.6%), 4-11 behind the new arc (36.4%) and 1-2 at the stripe (50.0%). Princeton had 11 turnovers to five assists. The Chippewas shot 9-31 (29.0%), 2-11 outside (18.2%) and 2-6 from the line (33.3%). CMU turned the ball over 10 times and handed out three dimes.
The second half began on a promising note for Princeton fans. Briggs, scoreless up to this point, drove by his man and had an easy layup down the center of the paint when Central Michigan did not come over to help on defense. It was Briggs' lone field goal for the game.
Kellermann began to get clean looks outside as various Tigers could not stay with him roaming from the interior to the perimeter. Kellermann tied the game at 27 with a three point shot as Saunders did not chase him down and then Kellermann put Central Michigan in front 32-27 with a long jumper from in front of his team's bench.
Seconds previous Zach Finley had picked up his third personal foul and was replaced in the lineup by Buczak. Buczak was with Kellerman on the arc, but slid a step towards the basket as Kellermann dribbled to the corner, freeing the senior forward for another three point shot.
The Chippewas' advantage extended from that point, reaching a game-high 40-29 with 13:06 to go when Kellermann tossed one in from the top of the arc.
Looking for an answer, Coach Johnson went to junior guard Marcus Schroeder for the first time off the bench. Schroeder was a calming, experienced influence on the floor, giving the Tigers a second ballhandler to compliment Davis.
Schroeder had an open lane on the left side off a backdoor feed, but passed up a layup for the diagonal pass to Davis for a three point shot that pulled the Tigers within eight.
Nick Lake popped for his only field goal of the night, a three on the right side off a Finley assist and Princeton was back within five.
Lawrence Bridges dunked home a missed layup by Weary to increase the Chippewas' advantage.
Davis stole the ball from Robbie Harman, drove into the lane and was able to hold off Harman for the basket as the official blew his whistle. Davis' free throw was good and Princeton trailed 42-38.
Hardiman could not finish a layup, but Jeremy Allen grabbed the board for CMU and the possession ended with another Kellermann three, halting the Tiger momentum.
Down 45-40, Princeton went to a 1-2-2 defense for the first time in the game, throwing Central Michigan off for a couple possessions.
Dan Mavraides had a tough night offensively in his 16 minutes off the bench for Princeton. He played hard and got open several times, but his outside shots and his floaters in the lane all bounced emphatically off of the iron. With 4:41 to play, however, the sophomore guard finally found the bottom of the net, connecting from deep on the wing to make the score 45-43 in favor of Central Michigan.
Allen sucked some life out of the place when he answered with a three of his own the next time the Chippewas came down the court.
The Tigers had the ball and a chance to tie with just under three minutes to go. Davis turned the corner and looked to have a clear path to the basket, but unlike on Briggs' drive to start the second stanza, Allen came over on defense to swat the left-handed layup before it could find the glass.
Central Michigan looked close to finishing off Princeton when Finley fouled out trying to help Schroeder guard Kellermann posting up. Kellerman converted both free throws and CMU was up 50-45. Maddox, who replaced Finley, was fouled on a baseline drive and converted both of his chances.
The undersized Mavraides held the larger Kellermann as Kellermann tried to get position in the center of the paint and was whistled for a foul. Again, both free throws were good and the Tigers were teetering with under a minute to go.
Doug Davis, who had been so impressive so far, nearly pulled the damn thing out himself.
Davis' spinning layup made it a three point game.
Nine seconds later Mavraides poked the ball away from Harman and Davis picked it up, going coast-to-coast through traffic and concluding his weave with his left hand.
The Tigers pressured in the backcourt and once CMU got the ball across, Davis fouled Harman, who made the most of both of his chances.
Davis' long jump shot over an outstretched arm with ten seconds left looked like it had tied the game at 54...
...and last year it would have.
With the three point line moved back 12 inches for 2008-09, Davis' foot instead crossed the black arc and the Tigers were still behind by one.
"I felt that it was a three. I tried to set my feet up so that it would a three," said Davis following his spectacular first game. "I wanted to tie the game up with that shot."
With Princeton trailing by a point, Davis quickly fouled Harman again, who this time missed the second of his two free throws. Jason Briggs grabbed the rebound for the Tigers, passing ahead to an accelerating Davis. Davis crossed half court and began to try and snake free, drawing two defenders as he passed the Princeton bench. Jacolby Hardiman came over to knock the ball out of Davis' hands, bounding towards half court as time expired.
A small but enthusiastic crowd, heavy on friends, family and former classmates of Davis, who graduated from Princeton's Hun School earlier this year, sighed.
In the end it was a loss. There is no denying that.
Another close loss with chances to be had that went to the opponent.
A tight game with 21 turnovers for the losing team.
But there was a spark on Friday night and a sense that never crept into Jadwin Gym last year as the season trudged along - this is a Princeton team that will continue to get better as November becomes December and December becomes January.
It is foolish to expect that Davis will perform at a similar level again this season. Both Davis and his coach would tell you that one player taking 21 shots with no other Tigers in double figures is not the way to win many games. But Princeton appears to have found a point guard who can score, distribute the ball and make things easier for other players through his quickness and agility.
Friday was a night that Davis himself could not have imagined a few months back. "I came to a couple games last year," Davis shared following his first game. "I didn't actually picture myself on the court. I pictured myself going to the school and everything, but being on the court was a whole lot different from watching in the stands."
"He helped us out tonight, and that's a trend that we hope continues," added his coach. "People are going to watch that tape and say 'woah, there's someone we've got to watch out for."
Notes:
-Final numbers for both teams - Princeton shot 19-51 (37.3%), went 7-21 on distance (33.3%) and 8-9 at the line (88.9%). Central Michigan was 19-56 (33.9), 7-20 outside the arc (35.0%) and 10-18 from the free throw stripe (55.6%). The Chippewas outrebounded the Tigers 40-34 and grabbed 14 offensive boards.
-Princeton started a lineup of Patrick Saunders, Kareem Maddox, Pawel Buczak, Jason Briggs and Doug Davis.
-Zach Finley's injured left hand limited his availability and activity. He was replaced in the starting five by classmate Pawel Buczak, who did not score. Buczak appears to have put on 20-25 pounds of muscle to his upper frame, his gangly past behind him. Finley scored nine points and grabbed eight rebounds as a reserve in 28 minutes.
-Michael Strittmatter and freshman Zane Ma were both in street clothes on the bench. Of the 12 available Tigers, all but guard Bobby Foley and freshman John Comfort saw action.
-The Tigers finished with seven blocks, two each for Saunders, Maddox and Finley.
-Princeton premiered new Nike uniforms featuring a surprising silver and dark blue design sliding down the side of their jerseys and shorts. This silver line extends out to the shape of a parallelogram twice as it heads down the side of this uniform, a dark blue rhombus inside of each.
-The Tigers are next in action on Wednesday, November 19th at 7:00 pm, hosting Maine at Jadwin Gym.
