PHILADELPHIA — All season long, the men's basketball team has thrived under pressure. Last night at the Palestra, Princeton (20-7 overall, 13-1 Ivy League) did it again.
When it mattered most, the Tigers did what it they do best: take the ball to the hole. After 40 minutes of back-and-forth battle, Princeton wasted no time in taking control once overtime began.
First it was junior guard Will Venable, slicing into the lane for a layup on the first possession of the extra period. Junior forward Andre Logan followed suit the next time down the floor, running his man off several screens and then heading straight for the hoop.
A minute later, sophomore guard Scott Greenman drove into the lane, drew three defenders, and softly dished the ball into Logan's hands for another easy bucket. Greenman would reprise his defender-drawing drive on the very next possession, this time feeding junior center Judson Wallace.
And just like that, the game was in the Tigers' paws. A few defensive stops and made free throws later, Princeton went home with a 76-70 win and a gigantic slice of vindication pie.
"We wanted to attack them and put them on their heels," Logan said, "and that's what we did."
After letting Penn (17-7, 10-4) completely control the flow of the game the last time the two teams battled, it was the Orange and Black who ran the show this time around.
Offensively, the Tigers got what they wanted all game long: the ball in the post. Wallace and Logan were simply too much for the Quakers to handle, scoring 24 and 19 points respectively, while combining to grab 15 rebounds.
As a result, the Penn big men were forced to hack away; two Quakers fouled out, and two others finished with four fouls. The Tigers weren't immune to foul trouble either, as freshman forward Harrison Schaen fouled out and five others finished with at least three fouls.
Overall, the two teams combined for 53 personals — evidence of a high-level of aggressiveness that was not present in the squads' first meeting, especially from Princeton.
Case in point: after digging themselves into a hole by launching an inordinate number of threes last time, the Tigers put up just eleven last night.
Not surprisingly, with the drop in quantity came a large increase in quality. Greenman's three with three minutes, 15 seconds left in regulation was one of the biggest shots of the night — it put Princeton up, 58-56, completing a comeback from nine points down.
"The first time we played them, that wasn't us," head coach John Thompson '88 said. "Tonight we executed much better."
Indeed, the Tigers' guard play was much improved from February, especially on the defensive end. Time and again, Princeton's quick hands poked the ball from the Quakers' grasp, stealing the ball 13 times, including five by Venable alone. Venable turned in another yeoman's effort, holding star Penn guard Jeff Schiffner to nine points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Overall, Princeton did an excellent job of hampering the Quakers' offensive execution, forcing 18 turnovers — three times more than last time. Additionally, the Tigers did a better job of fighting through the multiple screens Penn uses to spring its shooters for open looks.
It was clear that Princeton came into the Palestra with a very different game plan than the one employed at Jadwin Gymnasium. For instance, for over 10 minutes in the first half, Thompson employed a lineup featuring three big men — Wallace, Logan and Schaen — during which time the Tigers went on a 21-9 run after struggling early in the game.
Only Adam Chubb consistently sunk shots for Penn, chipping in 18 points and 10 boards. While Princeton worked the shot clock to produce high-percentage shots late in the game, the Quakers launched several ill-advised quick threes late in regulation that missed badly.
As always, the Tigers' greatest struggle was turning the ball over. While they generally did a good job protecting the ball, a stretch of six turnovers in four minutes in the middle of the second half allowed Penn to go on an 11-2 run that broke open a tie game.
But Princeton committed just two turnovers over the final 15 minutes of play, as Greenman repeatedly broke the Quaker press.
After all, nothing would fluster the Tigers on this night.
Read More
Men’s soccer falls to Hofstra 1–0 in spirited matchup
Lily Pampolina and Alex Beverton-SmithAfter a decisive victory over Rutgers to open the season, the Tigers fell to the Hofstra Pride 1–0 on Wednesday night.
After a decisive victory over Rutgers to open the season, the Tigers fell to the Hofstra Pride 1–0 on Wednesday night.
Corners win games: field hockey splits pair of games in Tiger Invitational
Emilia ReayIn their opening tournament, Princeton beat Old Dominion before losing to the second-ranked University of North Carolina at the Tiger Invitational.
In their opening tournament, Princeton beat Old Dominion before losing to the second-ranked University of North Carolina at the Tiger Invitational.
Preview and Staff Picks: Men’s soccer vs. Rutgers
Harrison Blank, Joseph Uglialoro, and Alex Beverton-SmithIn their first matchup of the season, the Tigers face the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 5 at Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium. The team will hope to have a positive start to the year against their state rivals.
In their first matchup of the season, the Tigers face the Scarlet Knights on Sept. 5 at Myslik Field at Roberts Stadium. The team will hope to have a positive start to the year against their state rivals.