Double-OT win marred by tight loss

After losing its first four Ivy League games, the men's basketball team hit the court with something to prove Friday night. Princeton (9-11 overall, 1-5 Ivy League) secured its first Ivy League victory of the season in dramatic fashion with a 74-68 double-overtime win over Harvard (10-12, 3-5). In their game against Dartmouth (8-13, 3-5), however, the Tigers could not repeat their success, and they let a close game slip away, losing by a single point, 45-44.

On Friday night, with two minutes gone in the second overtime period, junior forward Kyle Koncz sunk a huge three-pointer to put Princeton ahead, 65-62, a lead that it would not relinquish for the rest of the game.

Koncz, who has been suffering from a foot injury, noted that it was challenging for him to make the crucial three-point attempt.

"It was tough because with my foot, I am not allowed to practice live or [even] shoot during the week, so I am trying to get my form as the game goes along," Koncz said in an e-mail. "I had missed three previous shots, and I just thought to myself that I had to make my next shot because it was important for our team. I got open off a good screen from Justin [Conway] and was able to catch the ball in rhythm and shoot it."

After Koncz's important trey, the Tigers were able to put Harvard away for good. Senior forward Justin Conway scored five points in the final overtime period, and Princeton sunk six foul shots in the final minute to ice the game.

The score was close for the entire first half, as the Tigers and the Crimson traded baskets. Going into the locker room, Harvard had a 32-29 lead.

Princeton fell behind in the second half, and at one point, the Crimson was sitting on an eight-point lead. But the Tigers' solid play from behind the arc — they made a season-high 14 three-pointers — kept them in the game. Junior forward Noah Savage was a factor in his first start of the season, scoring 16 points and draining a three-pointer with eight minutes, 31 seconds left in the game to knot the score at 42.

Princeton had some trouble containing Harvard guard Drew Housman, who scored 33 points on the night, including a three-pointer to tie the game at 56 with two minutes left in regulation.

In the first overtime period, the Tigers fell behind by two with 1:34 remaining, but continued success from behind the arc forced the second overtime. Freshman guard Lincoln Gunn, who had a career-high 22 points, sunk a trey to put the Tigers ahead, 60-59. Housman made one foul shot to tie the score at 60, sending the game into the second overtime period.

The Crimson out-rebounded Princeton, 42-33, but Harvard shot a cold 33.3 percent from the field in the second half, enabling the Tigers to claw back into the game.

Koncz emphasized that it was vitally important for the Orange and Black to get that first victory against an Ancient Eight opponent.

"The win against Harvard was important for us [because] we won," Koncz said. "We had lost some games in a row and almost forgot how we were winning games earlier in the [season], so getting a win was important. Although it was a sloppy win, and not exactly how we would like to win a game, it was a win."

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In the first half of Saturday night's matchup against Dartmouth, Princeton had success from the field, scoring baskets without pressure from the shot clock. After the Tigers fell behind 6-0 three minutes into the game, Savage — who had 12 points, four rebounds and three assists — drove hard to the basket to give Princeton its first points of the game. After scoring another layup, Savage fed a pass to sophomore forward Michael Strittmatter in the lane to make the score 8-6.

Junior guard Matt Sargeant, who has seen little playing time this year, contributed to the Tiger offense by scoring seven points in the first period alone. With Koncz and senior guard Edwin Buffmire sidelined by injuries, head coach Joe Scott '87 used a new rotation including Sargeant, Savage and junior guard Kevin Steuerer, which gave Princeton a 27-24 lead going into the break.

To start off the second period, Savage bounced a three-pointer off the glass as the shot clock ran out to put Princeton ahead, 30-24. But Dartmouth started to heat up midway through the second half. Guard Alex Barnett haunted the Tigers all night, scoring a game-high 23 points, including a layup that tied the game at 40 with 3:26 remaining.

The Tigers became careless with the ball down the stretch, committing multiple turnovers that the Big Green converted into points. With one minute remaining, Strittmatter scored in the paint, and Princeton was only down by one. Guard DeVon Mosley immediately iced two foul shots for Dartmouth to put the team ahead, 45-42. After Savage missed a three-point attempt, senior forward Luke Owings bounced a shot off the glass to make the score 45-44, but then time expired.

"Our defense was good in the second half, but this one hurts a little bit more," Scott said.

Princeton held the Big Green scoreless from behind the arc, but Dartmouth's success from the foul line and off the backboard — Princeton was out-rebounded 31-20 — kept the Tigers at bay.

"It was definitely a game we should've won," Scott said.