Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia
Men's Hoops Runs Streak To Five With Win At Columbia
February 07, 2003 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 7, 2003
Box Score
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Spencer Gloger scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Princeton men's basketball team to a comfortable 68-51 victory over Columbia in front of 1,650 fans at Levien Gym Friday night. Kyle Wente had another solid overall performance, recording seven assists, five points, four rebounds, three steals and only one turnover.
Princeton was never seriously challenged over the final 30 minutes of the game. It shot 45.1% from the field (23 for 51) and made 16 of 19 free throw attempts in the win. Ed Persia was Princeton's other player in double figures, scoring 11 points.
"Since (Columbia coach) Armond Hill has been here, it's been an ugly game whenever we've played them," Princeton head coach John Thompson said. "They know what we're going to do. It's always tough, always intense. At this time of the year, you just want to win, pretty or ugly." One year after failing to take a lead until the final minute, Princeton made sure to get a lead early. A three-pointer by Ed Persia, a pair of free throws by Judson Wallace and a backdoor layup by Kyle Wente assured the Tigers a solid start to its offensive game. Spencer Gloger, the third-leading scorer in the Ivy League, added a putback and a three-point play to help keep Princeton ahead in the early moments of the contest. Columbia, which had suffered slow starts in its four prior Ivy League losses, kept it within four points in the first six minutes, but Princeton opened a 7-0 lead to build a double-digit lead.
Princeton continued to build on that lead throughout the first half, using everything from the mundane (9 for 10 from the free throw line) to the spectacular (a driving reverse layup along the baseline in the closing seconds of the half by Wallace). The play followed one of Princeton's five offensive rebounds of the first half. Princeton had nine players in the scoring column by the end of the first half, led by Gloger's nine points.
Columbia was able to cut the deficit to 13 points on a pair of occasions in the second half, but Princeton picked up the defensive pressure and buried three-pointers to ensure it never got to single digits. Ray Robins drained a pair of trifectas in the second half, the second of which opened a 20-point lead with slightly more than four minutes remaining.
Princeton will continue its trip through the Empire State Saturday evening when it takes on Cornell at Newman Arena at 8 p.m. The game can be heard live on WCTC 1450 AM and on GoPrincetonTigers.com. Princeton has won 17 of the last eighteen meetings with the Big Red, including a season sweep last year. The Tigers won 61-57 at Newman Arena last season.