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Princeton University
Brown
Forte, Fouls Push Men's Hoops To Brink Of Elimination
March 01, 2003 | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2003
Box Score
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Three Princeton players fouled out and Brown made more than twice as many free throws (30) as Princeton attempted (11), as Brown defeated Princeton 88-74 in front of 2,205 fans at the Pizzitola Center. Jason Forte scored a career-best 30 points and made each of his 14 free-throw attempts to all but eliminate Princeton from the 2003 Ivy League race.
Brown became the first Ivy League team other than Pennsylvania to sweep Princeton since Columbia did it in 1993. The Bears, who were the first Ivy League team to score 80 points against the Tigers in 223 games when they did it in an 80-73 win at Jadwin on Feb. 14, topped that mark by shooting 58.5% from the field (24 for 41) and 62.5% from beyond the arc (10 for 16).
Princeton nearly matched Brown in field goal percentage, shooting 54.9% from the field (28 for 51). Sophomore Judson Wallace scored a career-high 24 points, topping his previous career high of 23, set the night before at Yale. Wallace made 8 of 13 attempts, including five of eight from beyond the arc. Will Venable added 17 points, while Ed Persia had 13 and Kyle Wente had 12. Wallace, Persia and Venable each fouled out. The best Princeton can now do in the Ivy League race is gain a share of the title, but it would take a serious alignment of the stars for that to happen. Princeton would have to run the table (home games against Cornell, Columbia and Penn), and Penn would have to lose out (home games against Columbia and Cornell, at Penn). Penn nearly lost tonight, as it trailed Yale most of the way before pulling out an 80-75 win. If those two happen, Brown still needs to lose at least one road game at either Harvard or Dartmouth.
Unlike Friday night, when an emotional Yale gymnasium helped push Yale to a quick start, a subdued Pizzitola Center sat and watched Princeton jump out to an 11-4 lead four minutes into the game. It was a far cry from the night before, when the same arena was filled with Brown fans who were sent into hysteria by both the chance to take first place in the league and a fiery introduction of the starting lineups by Brown graduate Chris Berman.
The next few minutes belonged to a pair of excellent guards, Venable and Brown's Jason Forte. Venable's athleticism helped him to a trio of driving baskets, as well as a soft jumper from the elbow. Forte, the best player on the floor in Brown's 80-73 win at Princeton earlier in the season, answered with a pair of three-pointers and a pair of free throws.
After missing his first four shots, Earl Hunt helped get Brown close late in the half. He hit two of next three shots, including a three-pointer, and buried six free throws. The three-pointer cut the deficit to 36-32 with less than two minutes remaining. After a Princeton miss, Forte found Patrick Powers for a wide-open three-pointer, which brought the halftime score to 36-35 in favor of Princeton.
Brown would grab its first lead on an early three-pointer in the second half by Powers. The combination of Brown's strong play and the announcement that Yale led Penn at the half by one point inspired the Brown faithful, but Persia was able to quiet them for a bit with a steal and layup to even the score at 38-38.
Brown would grab a lead, and grabbed momentum after a reverse dunk by Robins got Princeton within 50-48. The ensuing Brown possession worked itself around to Harold Bailey, who buried a three-pointer from the right side and got fouled by Persia on the shot. The eventual four-point play preceded a steal and score by the Bears, which opened their largest lead of the game at 56-48.
As he had done all weekend, Wallace got Princeton back into it, draining a well-defended three-pointer and then tipping a defensive rebound to Venable. Wallace hit one of two free throws on Princeton's next offensive possession, but Powers more than made up for that with a three-pointer.
As the game wore on, and as the importance heightened with every announcement of a close score in New Haven, it became a Forte vs. Wallace contest. Wallace hit two more three-pointers, the latter of which gave him a new career high in points scored, topping his previous high of 23 set the night before.
Hunt, the fourth leading scorer in Ivy League history, converted a three-point play to give Brown a 69-61 lead with five minutes remaining. Following two free throws by Venable, Bailey drained a three-pointer and Hunt added a free throw for a 10-point lead with 4:10 remaining.
Every time Princeton tried to cut into the lead, Brown had an answer. Following a three-pointer by Persia, Alai Nuualiitia cut to the basket for a layup and free throw, bringing the lead back to 10 points. Venable made a layup to make it 78-70 with two minutes remaining, but Forte came right back with two free throws. Venable made another layup, and Forte made two more free throws.
Princeton will play its final three regular season games at home, beginning Friday against Cornell at 7:30. Led by a 16-point effort by Ed Persia, Princeton topped Brown 67-49 in Ithaca, N.Y., earlier in the season.