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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Alabama A&M
Players Mentioned
Tigers Lock Down Alabama A&M, 56-39, in BCA Classic Fifth Place Game
November 12, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Princeton's win over Alabama A&M Sunday at the BCA Classic had a lot to do with threes. The four threes from Ohio native Kyle Koncz that helped the Tigers take a big halftime lead, and the two threes on the jersey of senior captain Justin Conway that helped the Tigers keep it.
Koncz had 15 of his team-high 19 points in the first half, helping Princeton take a 32-15 lead at the break, and Conway had 11 points, seven rebounds, four steals and maybe a bruise after taking a first-half elbow to the head in a 56-39 Princeton victory in the tournament's fifth-place game at Ohio State's Value City Arena.
Koncz scored Princeton's first nine points, all on three-pointers, to give Princeton (2-1) a lead it would never relinquish in the final 35 minutes, and Conway had his team's final seven points of the half, including a free throw after an intentional foul was called on Alabama A&M's Jonathan Belt after elbowing Conway near the head with 1:32 left.
The Tigers led by as many as 18 points in the second half and never had a lead of less than 11 points in the final 20 minutes.
"I'm happy for Kyle because it's tough to come home to your home area and do well and he did well in all three games here," said Princeton head coach Joe Scott. "Justin makes a big difference for us on the boards and getting his hands on passes on defense, and he and Marcus (Schroeder) did a great job of that today."
Koncz averaged 15 points per game and made a total of 10 three-point shots in Princeton's three games in Columbus, about a two-hour drive from his hometown of Strongsville outside Cleveland. Conway shot 5 for 7 from the field on Sunday and also added two assists in 37 minutes of action.
"I've really concentrated on getting good looks this season and taking advantage of the opportunities I have to make those shots," said Koncz, who made 10 of his 20 three-point shots in the three games in Columbus.
"I think we did a good job of playing hard on defense and on the boards today," said Conway, who was none the worse for wear after the first-half elbow. "It feels good to hold a team that wants to run and score a lot to 39 points."
The Tigers' defensive effort included allowing Alabama A&M (1-2) to shoot just 35% from the field (14 for 40) and 4 for 16 from three-point range. Princeton had 12 steals, including four from Schroeder, and the Bulldogs committed 18 turnovers overall.
Cornelius Hester and Evan Hilton each scored 11 points for Alabama A&M, which forced 15 Princeton turnovers.
Princeton shot 55% in the first half on the way to the 17-point halftime lead. The Tigers fell behind 4-0 and 6-3, but then fashioned a 13-2 run midway through the first half to take a 16-8 lead on a MIchael Strittmatter layup with 9:55 left.
The Tigers made eight three-pointers in 22 attempts. Princeton made 27 three-point shots in the three games at the tournament. Princeton also shot 16 for 20 from the foul line on Sunday after making just 21 of 36 free-throw attempts in its first two games.
NOTES
* Koncz was one of five players named to the BCA Classic All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the event. He was joined by MVP Ron Lewis of Ohio State, Daequan Cook of the Buckeyes, Haminn Quaintance of runner-up Kent State and Blake Schilb of third-place Loyola. Koncz averaged 15 points in Princeton's three wins, made 10 of his 20 three-point attempts and was a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line.
* Ohio State defeated Kent State 81-59 to win the tournament championship, while Loyola held off IUPUI 77-73 in the third-place game. VMI defeated South Dakota State by a score of 104-89 in the seventh place game earlier in the day.
* Princeton outrebounded Alabama A&M 24-22 on Sunday. The Tigers outrebounded their final two opponents 61-46 after being outrebounded 33-14 by Loyola on Friday.
* The Tigers have nine days off until their next game, Nov. 22 at Manhattan. Princeton will play its first seven games either on the road or at neutral sites before returning home to face Lehigh Dec. 6.
* Schroeder finally came out of a game in his third game in a Princeton uniform, coming out for two minutes in the first half. He had six points and five assists in addition to his four steals and shot 4 for 4 from the foul line.