Princeton stretches to 2-0

Two second-half defensive plays from senior guard Matt Sargeant and a clutch three-pointer from sophomore guard Lincoln Gunn with one minute, 10 seconds to play helped the men's basketball team hold on to a 66-58 victory against Iona last night at Jadwin Gym.

Princeton (2-0 overall) saw a 13-point halftime lead dwindle to one, but as Iona (0-2) guard Rashon Dwight drove to take the lead with 8:05 remaining, Sargeant seemed to come from nowhere to swat the layup. Five minutes later and up by four, Sargeant drew a charge, and the Tigers would not relinquish the lead.

With the margin still four with 1:10 remaining, Gunn drained a long three with three seconds on the shot clock to seal the win. Gunn led the Tigers with 20 points and six assists, while also grabbing six rebounds. Gunn was four for six from beyond the arc and a perfect four for four from the line.

"The shot clock was going down," Gunn said of his last three. "So I just decided to shoot — nothing out of the ordinary."

Senior forward Kyle Koncz was next with 15 points, while sophomore center Zach Finley added 14 points and eight rebounds.

Sophomore guard Marcus Schroeder added four assists and three steals while committing no turnovers.

Iona won the field-goal percentage battle 45-40, but the Tigers converted 17 Gael turnovers into 26 points. Princeton was outrebounded 33-32, but 10 of the Tigers' came on the offensive end.

Princeton took an early lead thanks to the Koncz's shooting, as he scored 12 of the Tigers' first 13 points on four three-pointers. Gunn added two early threes of his own, while Finley scored nine in the first frame.

Princeton's ball handlers had little trouble breaking the Iona full-court press, which the visitors utilized for much of the game. The Tigers often only needed a few quick passes before going from end-to-end and getting an open shot. Eleven of Princeton's 12 first-half field goals came off assists, with the one exception a Sargeant drive as the shot clock wound down.

The Tiger defense held Iona to only 34.6 percent from the field in the first half, including one for six from beyond the arc. The Gaels coughed up 10 first-half turnovers to Princeton's four. The Tigers finished the half on a 6-0 run, paced by two Finley reverse layups, to lead 35-22, the team's largest lead of the game.

Iona began the second half with a 6-0 run, as Princeton missed the mark until a Finley layup 2:35 in. The Gaels drew within three at 43-40, but a Sargeant three and a Gunn drive extended the lead again. After a Finley free-throw gave the Tigers a 49-44 advantage, Iona hit two quick shots for a one-point margin, the closest margin since the Gaels led 4-3. After a Princeton miss, Dwight drove to take the lead — only to be blocked by Sargeant.

Iona again cut the lead to four with 5:34 remaining when its full-court press worked for the first time all game. The Gaels almost drew closer with 3:44 to go, but again Sargeant was there — this time to take a charge.

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While Sargeant added eight points and four rebounds, it was his play on the defensive end that drew the praise of his coach.

"He's a senior," head coach Sydney Johnson '97 said. "He knows what we need."

Sargeant's health and playing time was sporadic in his first three years, but in his final season he seems to be finding his role.

"All the stuff in the past doesn't really matter," Sargeant said. "I'm just thinking about our game next Monday. I just want to bring a certain energy, especially on the defensive end."

Still, the Tigers' performance was far from perfect. Though Princeton broke down the Iona press with ease, it struggled early in the second half with the Gaels' half-court defense. On the other end, the Tigers struggled with Iona's dribble penetration until about six minutes to go, when the team cranked up its defensive intensity.

"Iona put heat on us," Johnson said. "You get through all the x's and o's of the game, and you get to where it's the heat of the battle."

As for offense, the first-year head coach was less pleased with the offense's implementation but very happy with individuals' performances.

"We weren't tight in terms of our execution," Johnson said. "We relied on as much as anything on some of our guys stepping up. Our guys tried to find openings where there were openings."

Princeton next tests its execution Monday in sunny Hawaii, as it plays No. 13 Duke in the EA Sports Maui Invitational.