Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Rutgers
Rutgers Pulls Away Late for 54-44 Win over Tigers
December 31, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2005
Box Score
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Princeton had a chance against Rutgers in a Saturday matinee against the Scarlet Knights at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. But Rutgers had Quincy Douby.
Douby scored a game-high 23 points, including seven in a 12-2 Rutgers run that sealed the game, to lead the Scarlet Knights to a hard-fought 54-44 win over the Tigers before 7,391 at the RAC in the 112th meeting of the long-time rivals.
Princeton (2-9) had tied the score at 42 with 5:14 with a run of its own that ended with Noah Savage's fourth three-pointer of the half with 5:14 left, but Douby took over after that, getting to the foul line three times and making a short jumper in the lane to make it 45-42 after Princeton turned the ball over in its own backcourt.
After another Princeton turnover, this time a carrying call on Savage with 4:33 left, Anthony Farmer hit a big three-pointer to give the Scarlet Knights (10-3) a 48-42 lead.
The Tigers would cut their deficit to 50-44 on an Edwin Buffmire layup with 1:58 left, and had the ball again after Farmer missed a layup for Rutgers, but the Tigers turned it over again and Douby and Farmer made four free throws in the final minute.
Princeton, which lost its fifth straight game, trailed 33-20 with 13 minutes left before making a charge to get back into the game. First, the Tigers scored eight straight points on a pair of Savage three-pointers and an nice backdoor cut by Buffmire. After Jimmie Inglis scored to give Rutgers a seven-point lead with 9:32 left, the Tigers then scored nine of the next 11 points, getting three-pointers from Michael Strittmatter and Scott Greenman to make it 35-34 and another from Savage to tie the score at 37 with 7:37 left. Douby then scored Rutgers' next five points before Savage's fourth three-pointer of the half tied the score a final time with five minutes to go.
Savage led Princeton with 17 points and shot 5 for 7 from three-point range, but he was the only Tiger player in double figures. Princeton made nine of its 19 three-point attempts overall and outrebounded Rutgers 24-23.
Led by Douby, the Scarlet Knights went to the free-throw line 28 times compared to just four for the Tigers. Rutgers also forced a season-high 23 turnovers for Princeton, including 13 in the first half.
The Tigers led early on at 11-9 after a Geoff Kestler driving layup with 11:23 left in the first half, but the Scarlet Knights then used a 12-2 sput in the next seven minutes to take control, taking a 21-13 lead on Douby's steal and layup with 4:45 left.
Trailing 24-18 at halftime, the Tigers scored just one field goal in the first seven minutes of the second half before making their run.
NOTES: Freshman Michael Strittmatter earned his first career start for the Tigers and had season highs of five points and four assists in 30 minutes. Strittmatter became the 10th Princeton player this season to start at least one game.
Scott Greenman returned to the starting lineup for the first time since the Temple game Dec. 6 and played all but one minute, scoring eight points and adding three assists and two steals. Greenman had been out for the past three games due to a lingering back injury.
Rutgers has now won three straight against Princeton at the RAC and seven of the past nine games in the series overall.
The Tigers had assists on 13 of their 16 baskets.