Two minutes, 15 seconds into Saturday's game with Dartmouth, the men's basketball team looked up to see the Big Green's Shaun Gee hanging from the rim. Gee had just dunked and was fouled for a three-point play. The play gave Dartmouth an early 3-0 lead, a lead it would not relinquish until the second half.
Only two weeks ago, the Tigers had jumped out to a 43-19 halftime lead against the Big Green, and cruised from there for a 28-point win.
But Saturday, No. 9 Princeton (23-1 overall, 11-0 Ivy League) had to make its move in the second half. The Tigers responded on both ends of the court after halftime, holding Dartmouth to seven field goals, while scoring 46 points en route to a 74-53 win over the Big Green (6-18, 3-9).
Friday, the Tigers used a 28-4 second-half run to build their lead from six to 30 in dispatching Harvard (11-13, 4-8), 77-55.
Red hot
Gee was on fire throughout the first half Saturday. He hit a 25-footer from the top of the key and had another dunk on an alley-oop, totaling 15 points in the half. At the break, the score was knotted at 28, but Princeton was fortunate to be tied.
With 38.8 seconds remaining in the half, Dartmouth had the ball and a two-point lead. But senior point guard Mitch Henderson stole the ball from Dartmouth's P. J. Halas and converted a layup to give the Tigers a share of the lead.
Earlier in the first half, Dartmouth was up 18-12, and after a jump ball, Princeton retained possession with only one second remaining on the shot clock. Freshman guard C. J. Chapman inbounded the ball to senior forward James Mastaglio, who jumped into the air from behind the three-point arc, caught the ball and shot it before landing. Mastaglio's shot was good, cutting the Dartmouth lead in half.
"Gee's a heck of a player," head coach Bill Carmody said. "He took the team over in the first half. He just dominated."
But in the second half, Mastaglio stepped up his defense on Gee, taking Gee out of the offense and limiting him to six points, while Mastaglio had three steals.
"I told them at halftime that we had to play perfect in the second half to win," Dartmouth head coach Dave Faucher said.
Run
The Tigers held a seven-point lead with 10:56 remaining, but Princeton went on an 11-0 run, keyed by senior center Steve Goodrich, to extend its lead to 18.
Goodrich hit a three-pointer from the top of the key and a layup on a Tiger fast break. Then, junior forward Gabe Lewullis found Goodrich on a lob pass for a layup.
"I think we just wanted to come out, and just wipe them out (in the second half)," Henderson said. "I think we did that on defense. We were getting whatever we wanted."
Friday against Harvard, the Tigers held a six-point lead early in the second half before going on a 28-4 run over the next 10:53 to put the game out of reach.
"Our defense seemed pretty good to me," Carmody said. "It seemed like they were stuck on 36 for an awful long time."
Shake, rattle and roll
In spite of Princeton's stifling defense, the Crimson managed to hit a rare six-point play after freshman forward Terence Rozier-Byrd fouled Harvard's Chris Dexter as he was attempting a three-pointer. When Dexter began shooting his foul shots, the Princeton students began jumping up and down on the west stands, shaking both the floor and the basket.
Since the officials had already warned the fans about their behavior once, Princeton was assessed a technical foul. Dexter hit four free throws and then found his teammate Chris Lewis for a layup on the ensuing possession, completing the six-point play.
"I like seeing the fans out," Carmody said. "Let's just see if we can find a more creative way to express our enjoyment of the game."
Home goodbyes
Saturday's game with Dartmouth was Senior Night at Princeton. Senior forward Darren Hite and senior guard Sean Gregory, along with Mastaglio, Henderson and Goodrich, were recognized before the game. Late in the second half, Carmody put Gregory and Hite into the game, marking one of the few moments where all five seniors have been on the court together.
"I couldn't be happier for the way things have happened for the team," Hite said.
Hite, along with the rest of the senior class, will have the chance to go down in history Friday against Columbia. Currently, the senior class has 85 career wins, which ties the class of '92 for the most by a class in Princeton basketball history.
Read More
Princeton softball stands atop the Ivy League standings after defeating Yale
Dalynn HoltzclawThe Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
The Tigers sit two games ahead of second place and are on an eight-game winning streak. Should they finish as the No. 1 seed next weekend, they will host the Ivy League tournament.
Princeton Men’s golf falls just short in Ivy League Championships
Matthew YiDespite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
Despite coming close, a tough round three and poor weather conditions led to the Tigers losing out to Yale in the men's Ivy League Golf Championships.
On senior night, No. 21 Princeton men’s lacrosse secures a dominant win over No. 12 Penn
Lily PampolinaWith a massive win over a ranked opponent, the Tigers will head to New Haven next week in hopes of sealing their Ivy League tournament berth.
With a massive win over a ranked opponent, the Tigers will head to New Haven next week in hopes of sealing their Ivy League tournament berth.
