Two wins kick off new year

Over winter break, the men's basketball team wasn't busy wrapping gifts; it was busy wrapping its opponents in a smothering defense. It didn't have a chance to sip eggnog by the fire either, as it spent its break drinking the sweet nectar of victory.

Princeton (9-4 overall) kicked off winter break on Dec. 30 with a 57-46 rout of the Iona Gaels (0-11). Its wrecking ball then hit Rice on Jan. 6, as the Orange and Black handed the Owls a devastating 51-28 defeat.

While the scoring margin differed between the two games, the elements that led to the convincing Tiger victories were the same in each: a stifling defense and a steady stream of three-pointers.

"We know that playing good defense is essential if we are to be successful this season. We take pride in our defense, and we need to continue to improve on that end," senior forward and captain Justin Conway said.

Conway led Princeton in steals during the Iona game, contributing four of the team's 13. He was followed by senior guard Edwin Buffmire, who finished with three.

Because Tiger defense has been so staunch this season, it has emerged as the number one scoring defense in the country, allowing an average of only 49.2 points per game. Its defensive acumen will play a critical role for Princeton as it enters league play this coming weekend.

"A big key will be trying to stop all of the great shooters that the Ivy League consistently has basically on every team we face each weekend. That is a focus for us in every game but is especially important come league play," Buffmire said.

The Tiger defense put on its best show against Rice, allowing only 28 points, a tally rarely seen past middle school leagues. What's more impressive is that going into the game, the Owls boasted the highest scoring player in the country, Morris Almond. Almond was averaging an impressive 31.4 points per game when he stepped onto the floor, but four quarters later Almond had turned in a grand total of nine points — his worst showing to date.

Part of the reason for Almond's relative silence was the Princeton's stifling defense, as the Tigers stole the ball from the star guard four times. On the previous Tuesday, Almond set a Conference USA record by putting up 44 points in a game against Vanderbilt. However, on Saturday, he was held to just 37.5 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from the three-point line.

"Rather than just shutting down Almond on an individual level, we focused on stopping Rice as a team. Disrupting what they were trying to do on offense really helped us to slow him down," Conway said.

Complementing the Tigers' success on the defensive end was a potent scoring attack from behind the three-point line. Presently, the three-pointer seems to be the shot of choice for Princeton, and these shots have crippled its past opponents.

Get the best of the ‘Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

In the Iona game, Princeton made five three-point shots in both halves, accounting for more than half of its total points.

Though the Gaels are the only remaining winless team in NCAA Division I basketball, their defense is not to be scoffed at. They have played closely with Buffalo, Maryland and Rutgers, all of whom traditionally field relatively strong teams.

The teams played closely throughout the majority of the first half, as the squads traded baskets for the first 17 minutes of the game. Two quick threes by junior forward Kyle Koncz and one by junior forward Noah Savage, however, opened up a 32-20 gap at halftime — a hole the Gaels were unable to climb out of over the final 20 minutes.

Though Princeton seems to be relying on the three-point shot, it is not because of any weakness on the inside post.

"The three-point shot is a part of our offense, but so is posting and driving. Driving and posting has allowed us to get so many wide open threes because when people like Buffmire or Marcus [Schroeder] drive, the defense collapses," Savage said. "We take what the defense gives us."

Recently, what the defense has been giving the Tigers is plenty of wide-open looks from three-point range.

The shooting during the Rice game was equally stellar, as Princeton's first five baskets came from behind the arc. This opened up an impressive lead for the Tigers that they took to halftime.

During the second half, the Tigers left little hope for an Owl resurgence by going on a quick 9-0 run capped off by a dominant dunk from Noah Savage to make the score 39-19.

Senior forward Luke Owings led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points, as the team shot 55 percent from the field. The wide spread in scoring distribution has proven to be a major strength for the Tigers so far this year and will be a major asset going into Ivy League play. All five starters have led the Tigers in scoring in at least one game this year, making them a potent offensive threat.

Still, despite the two impressive victories and the successful season to date, Princeton is not content to rest on its laurels and is still refining the details of its game.

"We will continue to focus on and work to improve our defense every day in practice as we prepare for every league game," Conway said.

If the winter break dominance is an indication of what's to come, league play should prove to be highly successful for the Tigers — and with dynamic play emerging on both ends of the floor, Princeton is peaking at just the right time.

Princeton returns to action this Friday in its Ivy League opener at Columbia. The team then travels to Cornell before taking a break for exams.