NEW YORK — Mike Bechtold leaned back awkwardly and began to fall. The senior forward's body wobbled as he balanced on one, then both feet, clutching the ball as the shot clock ticked down. The men's basketbal team was losing badly to Columbia midway through the second half, trailing 38-31 in a game that was not that close.
The Tigers had not led all night and had fallen behind by as many as 11 points. Princeton entered the game with thoughts of claiming the outright championship Tuesday night at Penn. With a loss, the Tigers would instead be facing complete elimination. "I can't go out like this," Bechtold repeated silently to himself. So as he stumbled he launched the ball into the air. It flew through the net. The shot was a lot like the Tigers' season.
Twelve minutes later, Colmbia fans thundered to their feet for Princeton's final chance and Bechtold stood again at the top of the three-point arc. This time, his feet were planted firmly as his fingers curled around the quick pass from junior guard Kyle Wente. Without hesitating, Bechtold smoothly extended his arms, his teammates on the bench rising with the ball, and swished a three-pointer, giving Princeton its first lead of the game, 49-48, with 33 seconds left.
Those were the only seconds that counted. The Tigers (16-9 overall, 11-2 Ivy League) withstood a frantic final attempt by Columbia (11-17, 4-10) to score, and emerged with their second straight shaky victory, securing at least a share of the Ivy title — the ninth Princeton title in the last 14 years.
Friday night, the Tigers escaped from Ithaca, N.Y. with a 61-57 victory over Cornell (5-22, 2-12). The two wins secured a showdown with Penn (23-6, 10-3) Tuesday night at the Palestra. If the Tigers win, they will be the outright champions of the Ivy League. If they lose, then Penn and Yale (19-9, 11-3) will join Princeton in the first three-way Ivy tie since the league was formally established in 1956 and necessitate a playoff for the automatic NCAA tournament bid.
Saturday, Bechtold led all scorers with a career-high 25 points, including 11 straight during a six minute span, that sliced the Lion lead from 38-31 to 44-42.
"He wants to keep playing," coach John Thompson '88 said after the game. "He knows what's on the line. He was terrific tonight."
In the first half, Princeton could not seem to find its rhythm on the court, relying heavily on three-point shots to score, resulting in 15 of its 21 points. Thompson juggled the combinations of players on the floor, trying to find a group that could combine intensity with efficiency. But the threeand four-guard lineups that have sparked the Tigers in the past remained all rough edges Saturday night. Princeton tried to go man-to-man and to press, but Columbia continued to get easy buckets by driving the lane.
Bechtold subbed back in late in the half and the Tigers reverted to a zone. By halftime, they were trailing 30-21. Nothing worked. Five minutes into the second half, trailing by 10, it seemed as though little had changed.
"They knew what we were trying to accomplish," Thompson said. "Our guys were getting frazzled." But Bechtold's 11 points drew the Tigers to within two points, setting up the final frantic minutes. After a controversial call on a block by senior guard Ahmed El Nokali, Derrick Mayo converted the basket and the free throw, giving Columbia a slim 44-40 lead. El Nokali had to be pulled away from the referees, and was called for a technical foul, while sophomore center Konrad Wysocki spoke sternly with the official, his long arm resting on the smaller man's shoulders.
The call would not end up costing Princeton. On the following play Bechtold was fouled, and converted two free throws. And on the Tigers' next possession, freshman center Dominick Martin slipped inside the paint, arched his arms and sent a hook shot floating through the net to tie the game at 44 with 6:14 left. But two minutes later, the score still knotted at 44, Martin committed his fifth foul and walked slowly toward the bench while Lions fans jeered.
A steady drum beat from the band underscored the tension of the game, as the Lions could not pull away. With 90 seconds left, Princeton had the ball, trailing by two points. Wente drove inside and drew the foul. He made both shots of the one and one, tying the game. But Treg Duerkson glided downcourt, cutting through the Tiger defense for a quick lay-up that gave the Lions a 48-46 edge with 55.2 seconds left. Then came Bechtold.
Columbia would have one more chance. On the Lions final play, senior guard Craig Austin pushed against the edge of the Princeton defense, bouncing out and barrelling back in like a child running against the walls of the inflatable room ride at a county fair. Finally he stepped back, stopped himself along the extended foul line and forced a shot that banged off the rim. As El Nokali ran up the court with the rebound Austin lingered in the backcourt and swung his arms through the air in frustration.
It was senior night at Levien Gym. But for the Lions, the wrong set of seniors were celebrating.
"I felt it all the way," Bechtold said of his game-winning shot. "It's our title to win this time."
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