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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
UC Irvine
Parada's Late Layup Gives UC Irvine 57-55 Win over Princeton at McCaffrey Classic
December 05, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2003
Box Score
Fresno, CA - Adam Parada had missed two free throws just 48 seconds earlier with the game tied at 55. But UC Irvine's 7-0 senior center made sure he didn't miss when it counted the most.
Parada scored on a layup with 1.8 seconds left to put the Anteaters ahead and Princeton's Judson Wallace was called for traveling before a last-second midcourt shot at the buzzer as UC Irvine defeated Princeton, 57-55, in an exciting first game of the 2003 McCaffrey Classic at Fresno State's Save Mart Center.
Princeton (3-1), which was trailing 52-48 with three minutes left, pulled within one on Scott Greenman's three-pointer with 2:20 left and tied the game at 55 on two free throws by Wallace with 1:08 remaining. After Parada missed two free throws that would have put UC Irvine ahead with 49 seconds left, Greenman got an open look for Princeton in the right corner with 16 seconds on the clock, but the sophomore's shot hit the front rim for his only missed shot of the game. "The kid (Greenman) hit every shot the rest of the game," said UC Irvine head coach Pat Douglass. "Luckily for us, the one miss came when it counted the most."
Greenman finished 5 for 6 from the field and 4 for 5 from three-point range and had a career-high 14 points after setting a then-career high with 12 at UMBC three days ago.
The Anteaters (3-3) trailed 43-35 midway through the second half but scored 11 straight points in a three-minute span to take a 46-43 lead on Mike Efevberha's three-point play with 7:05 remaining. Greenman's three-pointer on Princeton's next possession would tie the game at 46, but UC Irvine would lead the rest of the way until Wallace's free throws tied the game at the 1:08 mark.
"We just didn't execute well enough or make enough shots in that one stretch," said Princeton head coach John Thompson. "But give us credit for fighting back into it when our shots weren't falling. I think we need to do a better job defensively if we're going to win tomorrow night."
Irvine shot 54 percent from the field (22 for 41) for the game, while the Tigers, who entered the game shooting 56 percent as a team for the season, shot just 44 percent. Princeton made a season-high 11 three-point shots, but 29 of the Tigers' 43 field-goal attempts came from beyond the arc against an Irvine team that played zone defense for most of the night.
"I didn't really see the play that won the game for them but give them credit for doing a good job getting the ball inside twice in the last minute," said Thompson.
Princeton trailed 27-26 at halftime but made its first five shots of the second half, three from three-point range, to take as much as an eight-point lead. But the Tigers then made just one of their next 11 shots as the Anteaters got back into it and eventually took the lead.
Wallace had 13 points, four assists and two steals for Princeton, which shot just 6 for 13 from the foul line but outrebounded a taller Irvine team 27-26. Efevberha and Stan Zuzak each scored 12 points for the Anteaters, while Jeff Gloger had eight points and six rebounds.
Neither team led by more than five points in a back-and-forth first half that saw the Anteaters take a one-point lead at halftime.
Princeton plays host Fresno State tomorrow night (11 p.m EST, WPRB-FM 103.3, GoPrincetonTigers.com) as it concludes play at the McCaffrey Classic.