Losing Streak Snapped

When men's basketball head coach Joe Scott '87 was asked late Saturday night if he was relieved to get a win after four consecutive losses, Scott cracked what must have been one of his few smiles in several weeks.

At that point, you could hardly blame him.

Scott's Tigers (11-10 overall, 2-5 Ivy League) held off Columbia (12-9, 3-5), 63-53, on Saturday at Jadwin Gym, snapping a four-game losing streak for Princeton and helping the Tigers avoid their worst Ivy League start in history. It was a result that hinged largely on Princeton's defensive play.

"I thought our defense was absolutely terrific," Scott said. "This was our best defensive game of the year. That's the way it's supposed to work."

The game was a physical battle from start to finish, featuring 54 total fouls and 68 free throws. Five different players fouled out, including Tigers' senior center Judson Wallace, who suffered through a miserable 12 minutes of playing time in which he scored just two points and was called for several questionable fouls.

The absence of Wallace's normal presence on the offensive end of the floor was more than compensated for by a strong performance from junior point guard Scott Greenman, who scored a team-high 17 points thanks to 12-of-14 shooting from the free-throw line. Senior guard Will Venable was his usual electrifying self, chipping in 15 points, five rebounds and five steals while invigorating Princeton at both ends of the court.

Despite never trailing on the night, the Tigers had trouble pulling away from Columbia in the first half. Venable gave Princeton its largest lead of the half at 17-9 when he hit two free throws with just under six minutes to play, but the Lions would outscore the Tigers, 9-3, the rest of the way, and Princeton headed into the locker room clinging to a 20-18 lead.

At that point, given the losing outcome of their last four games and the pressure from a tougher-than-usual Columbia squad, the Tigers could easily have had negative thoughts about what the second half would bring.

Instead, Princeton came out and scored the first five points of the second half and never looked back. Although the Lions would get within three points, they never seriously threatened the Tigers' lead. When Venable gave Princeton its largest lead of the game, 51-39, by a pair of free throws with just under four and a half minutes to play, the game was effectively sealed.

He doth protest too much

One of the key moments in the half had nothing to do with the players on the court. With exactly 10 minutes remaining in the game and the Tigers leading, 32-28, Columbia head coach Joe Jones protested a foul call a little too strenuously. Ripping off his sport jacket in disgust, he was immediately punished with a technical foul. Greenman hit both free throws, and Princeton went on a 9-2 run over the next minute and a half to break open the game.

Both Greenman and Venable were nearly automatic from the free throw line in the second half, and their foul-shot success kept the Lions from mounting an effective comeback charge. Sophomore guard Max Schafer also contributed from the charity stripe, finishing with nine points in a season-high 36 minutes of playing time.

"We finally learned how to finish a game tonight," Schafer said.

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After the game Scott praised his players for not letting the losing streak affect their performances.

"I think our guys showed a lot of resiliency [tonight,]" he said. "When we play in this manner, we're always going to be in good shape to win the game."

The season has been as trying for Scott as for anyone on the team, given the sky-high expectations for his return to his alma mater. On Saturday, however, it appeared as though the Tigers were finally playing the way he envisions they will every game.

"I keep telling [the team] we're going to do what we do," he said. "We're going to stress the things that are Princeton basketball, and if they continue to do that, they're going to be rewarded."

The reward of an Ivy League championship will almost certainly elude the Tigers' grasp this season, but at least for one night, things finally went as planned.

And for that, Joe Scott was smiling.