EASTON, Pa. — To explain his team's 80-73 loss to host Lafayette last night, Princeton head coach John Thompson '88 said, "We didn't defend."
He had one of the words wrong, though. Princeton couldn't defend — it is illegal to defend free throws.
So, when the Tigers (2-3) tried making their last-minute comeback by quickly fouling the Leopards to send them to the line, the plan failed. In the last three-and-a-half minutes, Lafayette made 14 out of 14 free throws. For the game, the Leopards sank a phenomenal 24 of 25 foul shots. That's 96 percent.
Princeton did its part, making four consecutive three-pointers in the last minute-and-a-half, including two in a row by freshman guard Ed Persia. But with Lafayette (4-3) knocking down pressure shot after pressure shot, there would be no Tiger heroes.
"We're comfortable with the rims here," said Lafayette forward Brian Burke, who was perfect on seven free throws in the game. "At home with the crowd calm, you're relaxed. I just think it's the atmosphere."
"We shot fouls almost as well as Princeton shoots threes," Lafayette head coach Fran O'Hanlon joked after the game.
As for the game before the last few minutes, Thompson's words were right on the mark. The Tigers failed to stop Lafayette at any time during the game. The Leopards shot 47.9 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from behind the three-point line.
On the other hand, the Lafayette defense was no better. Behind junior forward Mike Bechtold's game-high 23, Princeton racked up a season-high 73 points.
Five games into the season, Bechtold has emerged as the Tigers' best scorer. He scored 12 of Princeton's first 15 points, showing no fear of taking short jumpers or snapping off a three-pointer. His 14 first-half points kept the Tigers close at halftime, 36-33.
Over the course of the second half, Princeton continued to score effectively, but Lafayette's size kept the Tigers from taking command.
Seven-foot Leopard center Frank Barr stepped up as the game went on. Taking advantage of hobbled Prince-ton senior center Nate Walton's reduced mobility, Barr hauled down 15 rebounds on the night.
It was Barr who put Princeton in a deep hole in the final minutes. With 2:15 to play and the shot clock winding down, Burke heaved a three-pointer that rimmed out. Walton was in position to get the rebound, but Barr snatched the ball from over his head and passed it back to a streaking Burke.
Burke made his layup and was fouled by Walton on the way in. Of course, he sank the free throw, and the Leopards led by seven.
"Open 15-footers are not hard for our guys," O'Hanlon said.
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