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Balanced scoring leads to Princeton sweep
Tigers still two behind after Penn narrowly wins
By Steve Craig
Special to the Princeton Packet
Monday, Feb. 28, 2000
HANOVER, N.H. — Bill Carmody says it feels like the season's just starting.
Trouble is, Princeton has only three games left unless it gets a miracle (Penn losing at home to either Brown or Yale) or a cherished invitation (an NCAA bid is unlikely but NIT would be nice).
"We've had so many different lineups this year," Carmody said Saturday night. "Now we've had the same guys healthy for about five straight games. They're working together better and I'm getting a better feel for substitutions."
At the offensive end there was an obvious positive result coming out of a weekend sweep in New England. In both Friday's 63-48 win at Harvard and a 68-57 victory at Dartmouth, the Tigers displayed balanced scoring Carmody has not seen on many occasions this year.
"It's probably happened only two or three times all year. It just seems the ball's moving better," Carmody said.
All five Tiger starters had at least 11 points at Harvard. Four had 10 or more at Dartmouth. That was the critical constant as Princeton swept an Ivy weekend for the 27th time in the last 32 tries to raise its record to 17-9 and 9-2 in the league.
"The offense is moving really well right now and we're getting quality shots for everyone and that's really helping the point distribution," lanky 6-foot-7 sophomore swingman Ray Robins said.
Dartmouth focused its defense on stopping Princeton's leading scorers — center Chris Young and freshman bomber Spencer Gloger. In some ways, the Big Green were successful. The patented Princeton high-post offense, with the 6-11 Young as the distributing big wheel, produced just one back-cut hoop and that came late in the second half. Gloger was limited to only four field goal attempts, though he hit 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute that sealed the win and boosted his point total to 10.
But the focus was flawed. C.J. Chapman was open for good 3-point looks and knocked down four of the five shots he took from long distance en route to 16 points. Robins was left open early and he hit threes on consecutive trips early in the game to set the tone for a blistering shooting game for the Tigers. Princeton shot 60.5 percent from the floor and nearly as good on its 3-point shooting, making 9-of-16 for 56.3 percent.
"It was C.J. (at Harvard). I hit the first one down there and then he hit a couple," Robins said.
Plus, Young worked his way around the court. He scored inside on hooks and drove to the basket a couple of times, including one very important bucket that muzzled the Dartmouth crowd. That hoop came moments after Dartmouth senior star Shaun Gee had fouled out on a chintzy defensive holding call — just 30 seconds after getting his fourth foul in the same manner on the same possession, giving Princeton a 59-51 lead with 3:40 to play. Dartmouth never cut it below six the rest of the way.
Gee, who needs 28 more points to pass James Brown for fourth on Dartmouth's all-time scorer list, had to wonder what mortal sin he'd been accused of. Three times in the first half he appeared to be fouled by the interior of the Princeton defense while driving to the basket but did not get a call. Then, on senior night, with his parents having come all the way from their 440-acre farm in Nebraska, he gets DQ'd on foul calls you rarely see twice in a game, let alone twice in one possession.
Princeton got its bad news right after the game when it found out Penn had escaped Harvard with a 62-61 win, its 13th straight, keeping the Quakers two games in front in the Ivy standings at 11-0. Princeton finishes the season in Philadelphia against Penn on March 7 after hosting Yale (the only Ivy team other than Penn to beat the Tigers) and Brown this Friday and Saturday.
Despite having quality wins against the likes of Texas Christian, Rutgers, and Alabama-Birmingham, no one in the Tiger party was talking about an NCAA at-large bid. They figure their only hope of a ticket to the Big Dance is via an Ivy title. Since that can only happen if Penn coughs up a game against Brown or Yale, and Princeton beats Penn, what about an NIT berth?
"We just want to come out with three wins and let everything take care of itself," Robins said. "That's all we can do. I think we do feel that we're definitely an NIT (team), or we hope at least."
It would stand to reason. In the latest RPI ratings, Princeton is 85th (one spot above Penn). The Tigers' strength of schedule also ranks 85th. Three wins have come against top 100 RPI teams, while six of Princeton's seven non-conference losses have been to teams in the top 100, including Kansas (13th in RPI), Syracuse (22nd) and Missouri (33rd).
Carmody said he isn't thinking about an NIT berth, just the next three games.
"I just want to get them in the habit of winning games," the fourth-year head coach said.
That's not a bad philosophy, especially since Princeton's scheduled returners took 84 of the Tigers' 85 shots this weekend, while Penn has four senior starters.
TIGER TRACKS - Mason Rocca, Princeton's lone senior, played only three minutes at Dartmouth after a 10-minute stint at Harvard. He did not score in either game. Rocca's missed 12 games this season (a groin injury followed by ankle surgery). His only shot of the weekend was Saturday's wild, off-balance, backward flip as he was falling down. He came out of the game shortly after and did not return.
Gloger broke the Princeton record for 3-pointers by a freshman with a pair at Harvard. With one at Dartmouth, he now has 57 for the season, two more than Brian Earl's old record.
The backcourt combination of El-Nokali and Chapman have had trouble scoring in Saturday night league games this year. In Friday night league games they've combined for 129 points, and had just 27 in Saturday games prior to Dartmouth. Chapman reversed that trend, hitting for 16. Considering El-Nokali did not take a seat in either game, he can be forgiven his six-point effort after going for a team-high 15 at Harvard, which also tied his career high.
Carmody's Ivy record is now 48-5. Thirty-nine wins have been by at least 10 points.
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