| 1st | 2nd | Final |
|
| Princeton (4-1) | 19 | 25 | 44 |
| Lafayette (1-6) | 22 | 20 | 42 |
| Kirby Sports Center – Easton, PA | Boxscore |
| Keys to the Game | |
| Key sequence | Trailing 22-19 at intermission, Princeton came out and opened the second half with 12 unanswered points to claim its first lead of the game and open up a nine-point advantage. Justin Conway got things started with a hook 20 seconds into the second half. After a Lafayette turnover, Kyle Koncz drilled a three-pointer, followed by an offensive foul on the Leopards’ Everest Schmidt. Luke Owings found Marcus Schroeder for a layup, and after the two teams traded long-range misses, Jamaal Hilliard committed the third turnover of the half for the Leopards. At the other end, Luke Owings connected on a three-pointer to push the Tiger advantage to seven. Lafayette had two chances to answer, but couldn’t find the touch from deep. When Lincoln Gunn dished to Conway for a layup to cap off the run, this made it a 31-22 game with 15:42 left. |
| Key sign it was over | Lafayette rallied late, closing to within 44-42 on a Matt Betley drive, basket, and free throw with 55 seconds left. Princeton freshman Lincoln Gunn could find the range on a three-pointer and Marcus Harley controlled the rebound for the Leopards with 26 seconds to play. After a timeout, Lafayette point guard Andrew Brown drove to the basket and finding his shot contested, attempted a scoop shot that probably was tougher than it needed to be. His layup wouldn’t fall, and the ball was tapped out to Princeton’s Marcus Schroeder, as he became entangled with Betley. The side official blew his whistle just as the final horn was sounding, for an apparent jump ball (Lafayette had the possession arrow) or foul call. After a brief discussion, however, the game was declared over. |
| Key performance | Koncz tied for game high-scoring honors with 12 points, nine of which came in the first half, keeping the Tigers in the game. He shot 3 of 6 from the three-point line, not even attempting a shot from within the arc. The Lafayette defense had to account for the dangerous Koncz on the court, keeping an eye on the Princeton sharpshooter at all times. |
| Key statistic | As it has done all season, Princeton relied on the three-point line to most of its offensive damage. The Tigers were 9 of 24 (37.5 percent) from the arc, attempting only nine from two-point range. Lafayette managed only 4-of-18 shooting (22.2 percent) from distance. |
| Notes – Betley was the top scorer for the Leopards with 11 points, adding a game-high seven rebounds. – When asked about Lafayette’s defense, Princeton coach Joe Scott praised the Leopards, claiming that this was like a league game. – Gunn had a tough shooting night, going 1-for-7 from the field — all on three-pointer. The one he did hit was big, however, stopping a 9-1 Lafayette run midway through the second half. – Princeton attempted only one free throw in the first half — and missed it. In the second half, Princeton toed the free throw line 13 times, converting seven of those. – Lafayette enjoyed the better rebounding night, grabbing 30.4 percent offensively while holding Princeton to 17.4-percent offensive rebounding. – Princeton heads out to Milwaukee to face an underrated North Dakota State squad in the first round of Marquette’s Pepsi Blue & Gold Classic on Friday, December 1, at 7:30 pm ET. |
|
