Men's hoops pulls away from Rutgers

Defense and three pointers. That's what this men's basketball team is all about and that's what was in evidence last night as Princeton (4-2) defeated cross-state rival Rutgers (2-3), 53-40, winning for the first time in six years in front of a raucous crowd at the Tigers' home opener in Jadwin Gym.

A close-fought game for the first 37 minutes, Princeton showed for the first time this season the ability to shut down an offense and pull away for a decisive victory in the final minutes. With 3:29 to play, the score was 41-38, Princeton, and looking like it could go either way. The Tigers gave their home crowd something to cheer about as they closed on a 12-2 scoring run, led by two consecutive three pointers by junior guard Scott Greenman in the closing minutes, after going 1-9 from the floor up to that point.

The player of the game for Princeton was senior center Judson Wallace, who became the fifth Princeton player in six games to lead the team in scoring, with 18. He also contributed 11 rebounds to pick up the double-double, and was 3-7 from behind the three-point line.

"I try not to get caught up in these New Jersey things," Georgia native Wallace said. "But it's important to me, coming in to this one 0-3 [against Rutgers in Wallace's four years]. It means something to me."

The first half was a slow battle, with the Tigers deciding how the game would be played early on, drawing out the shot clock on nearly every possession and ensuring the pace would suit the Princeton offense. Strong offensive rebounding contributed to the Tigers controlling the ball, as even the five-foot, nine-inch Greenman, the only player on either roster under six feet, pitched in with a pair of boards in the half.

Playing against a full court press and a zone defense from the Scarlet Knights, Princeton's offense relied heavily on three pointers, taking 17 of its 21 shots in the first half from outside the arc. Wallace and freshman forward Noah Savage each had two treys, but at halftime the score was 23-20 in favor of Rutgers.

It was a similar ball game for most of the second half,until the Orange and Black's defense took over late in the game. A strong surge early on gave Princeton a brief lead. Coming out of halftime with intensity, the Tigers went on a 7–0 run, sparked by a three pointer from Greenman. Rutgers was held scoreless for 3:37, when the Scarlet Knights went on a brief run to resume a tight lead.

"We spent a lot of time on the zone [in practice]," head coach Joe Scott '87 said. "[It] didn't help us too much in the first half, but in the second half we came out with a little more aggression, the ball was moving around better, and the things we did work on showed up and helped us."

With 13 minutes to play, the Scarlet Knight lead was about what it was at halftime, 33-29, when the Tiger defense took hold again. Keeping the Scarlet Knights scoreless for over six minutes, Princeton took back the lead with another 7-0 run. This time, it would last.

Overall in the second half, Princeton's matchup zone held Rutgers to 20 percent from the field, as the Scarlet Knights hit only four field goals in the half, compared to 47 percent shooting in the first half. Princeton continued to rain the threes throughout the game, ending up with 35 of 47 total field goal attempts from beyond the arc, buoyed by increased scoring in the paint as the offense picked up in the second half. After the game, Rutgers head coach Gary Waters was subdued, as he expressed the need for his team to "sit down and regroup."

"It's a good win for us, it's good because we hadn't beaten Rutgers the past five games of the series," Scott said. "So the game for us might have taken on a little bit more significance. I think we played well in the second half. In the first half we were a little tentative offensively, so all I talked about at halftime was confidence."

The Tigers face Monmouth next on Dec. 12, as they head back on the road for another four games away from home.