Princeton basketball (3–8 overall, 0–0 Ivy League) fell short 63–58 to Monmouth (5–4 overall, 0–0 Coastal Athletic Association), marking the Tigers’ fifth consecutive loss.
The Tigers played yet again without junior guard Dalen Davis, who has now missed five games straight. Sophomore forward Malik Abdullahi was also out with a toe injury sustained in the previous contest. Head coach Mitch Henderson ’98 indicated he is unsure when both will return.
On the bright side, junior forward CJ Happy returned to play for the Tigers on Wednesday after battling an illness and missing the game against St. Joseph’s. Happy’s return proved to be vital in the Tigers’ effort against Monmouth. He scored 20 points, making four three-pointers on 50 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
“We are always working on our offense and getting better and better within it,” Happy said. “The coaches gave us a great game plan of how we should execute offensively, and my teammates were trusting me and finding me in the right spots.”
Despite Happy’s heroics, the Tigers came up short in the physical and closely contested matchup. It marks the fourth game in a row that the Orange and Black have lost by five points or fewer.
“We are improving,” Henderson told the ‘Prince’ postgame. “We’ve been right there now for four games in a row. We haven’t come out on top, but I’m confident.”
Both teams got off to a slow start. Just over two and a half minutes into the game, the teams were even at 2–2. Happy broke the deadlock with a three-ball assisted by first-year forward Sebastian Whitfield, who earned the start, putting Princeton ahead 5–2.
After Monmouth went on an 11–1 run, Henderson called a timeout with his team down 13–6. Coming out of the timeout, freshman forward Landon Clark immediately went to work down low, drawing a foul on a made layup and successfully converting on his and-one, firing up the Tigers.
The Tigers continued to battle back, and minutes later, junior guard Jack Stanton found Happy on the wing, who splashed a three to tie the game up, 16–16. Stanton had three assists and also contributed 14 points.
Though Monmouth jumped out to a seven-point lead with just over four and a half minutes to go in the half, Clark hit a three to make the game 26–22. The Tigers continued to hang around and went into the half down by four, 31–27.
Monmouth capitalized on the Tigers’ nine first-half turnovers, scoring 12 points off turnovers compared to the Tigers’ five. But it wasn’t just a first-half issue. The Tigers struggled to avoid turnovers all game, finishing with 19. Henderson attributed the difficulties to the physicality of play and the young group’s inexperience.
“I can’t believe how physical the game was,” Henderson said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I’m missing a primary ball handler, but with 19 turnovers, you’re not going to win anywhere.”
Coming out of the break, Monmouth maintained its narrow lead for a few minutes of the second half. Happy then scored five in the row to pull the Tigers ahead 39–37, their first lead since early in the first half of the game.
However, Happy committed his fourth foul on the ensuing possession and was subbed out. His play was limited for much of the second half. While Happy was on the bench, Monmouth regained control and slowly built the lead back up to seven points.
With around 7:30 left, Happy subbed back in and stayed in for the rest of the game, taking on the risk of fouling out if he picked up his fifth foul. He scored the next seven points for Princeton.
“I always remind myself to stay aggressive, but also remind myself that I have to be smart because my team needs me,” Happy said, reflecting on playing with four fouls.
With about four minutes left, Princeton still faced a 57–53 deficit. Defensive intensity ramped up on both ends, with neither team able to find a rhythm as the clock ticked down.
With just under a minute to go, a huge three-pointer by junior forward Jackson Hicke brought the Tigers within two points, 60–58. Hicke, who had been quiet offensively, with just four points prior to the shot, delivered when it mattered most.
After Monmouth split a pair of free throws, the score was 61–58, and the Tigers had a chance to tie the game with a three. Happy’s three-point attempt with 12 seconds to go missed right, and Monmouth iced the game after knocking down two more free throws.
“It doesn’t look pretty at times, but this group is very locked in and committed to one another,” Happy said. “We’re building something special, and when it clicks, we are going to be dangerous.”
Men’s basketball will look to break its streak of misfortune as it travels to Chicago to play a shaky two-win Loyola Chicago team (2–7, 0–0 Atlantic 10 Conference) on Saturday.
Jordan Halagao is a Sports contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to sports[at]dailyprincetonian.com
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