EASTON, Pa. — In its first game since the Monmouth Miracle, men's hoops showed that when the Princeton offense is properly blended with a more up tempo style, the result is a thing of beauty.
The basketball team beat Lafayette 89-75 Saturday night in Easton, Pa., to improve to 3-2 overall.
Granted the win came against the hapless and winless Leopards, but it was still a sight to see the offense executing its sets with precision passing and sharp jumpshooting.
Princeton finished 33-51 from the field, hitting 64.7 percent of its field goals. The Tigers also hit seven of 16 three-point attempts.
Sophomore guard Will Venable led the way with 23 points on 9-12 shooting, while junior forward Spencer Gloger added 22.
The Tigers jumped out to a quick advantage as they built a 21-15 lead. What was unusual about the way the game started was that Princeton did not build the lead with great outside shooting, but instead drove the ball to the inside at will. Venable continuously beat his man to the basket. He and Gloger finished well around the basket.
"There are a lot of opportunities in our offense to drive," said Venable. "I just recognized them and took advantage of them."
The most exciting play of the game came with just under five minutes left in the first half. Junior guard Ed Persia had the ball in the left corner behind the three-point line. Senior forward Ray Robins cut across the floor from the right side and through the lane and Persia tossed the ball towards the rim. Robins elevated well above the rim for the thundering reverse alley-oop dunk as oohs and ahhs spread throughout the crowd.
"Don't expect to see that every game," head coach John Thompson '88 joked. "That is a set play we run," but the result is not always as exciting.
The play seemed to energize the Tigers, as the team immediately ripped off a 12-0 run to close the half. Robins capped the run with a three-pointer with just two seconds left.
In the first half Princeton shot a remarkable 67 percent from the floor while connecting on six of nine attempts from beyond the arc. The Tigers continued their success in the second half.
After coming out flat to open the half, the Tigers recovered to end any doubt about the game's outcome.
Lafayette cut the lead to 10 at 52-42 with a three-pointer by Andrew Pleick with 15 minutes left in the game. However, the Tigers responded with a quick 8-2 spurt to get the lead back to 16. With the score 56-44, the Tigers went on a 17-3 run over the next five minutes to open up their largest lead of the game at 73-47.
On the offensive end, Princeton executed better than they have all season.
The Tigers played a much more up tempo style of play and were looking to push the ball up the floor after every possession. This often led to better looks at the basket, and even when Lafayette got back, it gave the Tigers more time to run their halfcourt sets.
Princeton also used its speed to get in the lane and force the Lafayette players to help out defensively. That left people open on the perimeter and the shots were being knocked down.
In the Tigers' new up tempo offense, the players have been given much more freedom to try new things, such as Robins' dunk. In addition to that, the Tigers have been told to utilize their quickness and drive the ball to the basket, something the Tigers did not do much of last season.
The 89 points the Tigers put up were the most in Thompson's three years as head coach.
"I think we just have to keep growing. We'll figure out the style as we go along," Thompson said. "We did some things tonight that we do want to concentrate on."
The Tigers also dominated the boards against the Leopards, outgaining them 34-19, including a 10-5 edge in offensive boards. Three Tigers finished with seven apiece, and one of them was Persia, who at six feet, one inch was one of the smallest men on the floor.
It seemed that the guard was the first to snag every long rebound and turn the ball the other way.
Princeton has a week off before its next contest, next Saturday night against intrastate rival Rutgers.
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