Men's hoops triumphs in home opener

Warm climates are supposed to help sick patients return to health.

For the malaise-ridden men's basketball team, however, a return to New Jersey was just what the doctor ordered.

Princeton beat intrastate rival Rider, 69-57, last night at Jadwin Gym for its first victory of the season. The Tigers (1-3) had dropped two games at a tournament in California and one in Miami.

"We needed a win," head coach John Thompson '88 said. "It's been a long two weeks."

Princeton got the win in typical fashion. The Tigers stymied Rider (2-2) with solid defense, hitting three-pointers and converting post feeds and backdoor cuts.

The Tigers took the lead with 15, minutes, 22 seconds left in the first half and never relinquished it. Sophomore center Konrad Wysocki hit an open three-pointer to break a 3-3 tie, and Princeton never looked back.

In fact, the Tigers' first 12 points came on four three-pointers by four different players. Wysocki, senior guard Ahmed El Nokali, senior forward Mike Bechtold and sophomore forward Andre Logan all connected from behind the arc.

Rider went into the game looking to deny Princeton cheap baskets on backdoor cuts. The Broncs successfully executed their gameplan in the first half, forcing the Tigers to beat them with the three-point shot. Trouble was, Princeton did exactly that.

The Tigers went 6-for-11 from downtown in the first half en route to a 32-20 halftime advantage. Logan, Wysocki and El-Nokali each poured in eight points.

Although Princeton's perimeter shooting was impressive, perhaps more crucial was their defensive effort. The Tigers forced the Broncs into a number of bad shots and did not allow them to get the ball inside on a regular basis.

Rider shot 6-for-23 for the half, including a dismal 2-for-10 from three-point range. Bronc star forward Mario Porter, who came into the game averaging 23 ppg, went 0-4 from the field and scored just two points in the first half.

At halftime, however, the Broncs made some adjustments and played a much better second stanza. Rider guarded against the long-range shot at the expense of spacing underneath. The Tigers went 1-for-4 from three-point range in the second half, but made up for it with lay-ups and scoring from the post. Logan was the main beneficiary - he finished with 18 points and seven rebounds in 38 minutes.

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Rider also picked up its tenth foul with over ten minutes remaining, putting Princeton in the double bonus for the remainder of the game. The Tigers took 29 free throws in the final 20 minutes. They made 20, as many as they had made during their first three games combined.

Freshman guard Will Venable benefitted from increased opportunites at the line. He played 16 minutes in the game, the most of any Tiger coming off the bench, and went 6-for-7 from the charity stripe. Venable finished with eight points and two steals.

On the other side of the ball, Rider was able to create more scoring opportunities against Princeton's defense. The Broncs got Porter involved early in the second half, pulling their center and going with four guards for much of the period.

Rider's strategy did not yield results for the first seven minutes of the period, as Princeton pushed the lead to 49-28 with 13:50 remaining. The Broncs clawed back with accurate shooting by Jerry Johnson, who drained three-pointers from all over the court. Rider cut the lead to seven with about two minutes to play, but Princeton ran away late with free throws.