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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Tigers Travel To Lafayette For Tuesday Night Tilt
November 27, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Game time is 7 p.m., and the game can be also be heard on WBUD-AM 1260 and online at GoPrincetonTigers.com. The game will also be televised by the Lafayette Sports Network, available on RCN-4 and WBPH-TV 60 in the Philadelphia and Lehigh Valley areas.
The Tigers (3-1) and Leopards (1-5) enter the game heading in different directions. Princeton has won three straight since a season-opening loss to Loyola Chicago at the BCA Classic, while Lafayette has lost five straight since a season-opening win at Wagner. Two of the Leopards' losses came to Indiana and Notre Dame in the NIT Season Tip-Off; another came at the ACC's Miami Saturday.
Princeton used a strong second half to win at Manhattan last Wednesday, 57-45. Kyle Koncz scored all of his team-high 13 points in the second half as the Tigers came back from as much as an 11-point first-half deficit. Princeton made 12 of its 15 shots (80%) in the final 20 minutes.
The Tigers won in both 2004 (40-38) and 2002 (89-75) at the Kirby Sports Center. The 2004 game was a tight affair in which neither team had more than a five-point lead; Princeton held on when Lafayette's Marcus Harley missed a jumper and then a follow at the buzzer.
Princeton won the first eight meetings between the teams when the series resumed in 1990, but the Leopards have won five of the last eight games between the teams.
FACT OF THE DAY
Turn the Beat Around Princeton has now won 12 of its last 16 games dating back to a 66-49 win over Yale on Feb. 3 of last season. The Tigers had lost 12 of their previous 15 games prior to the beginning of that stretch.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Hot, Hot, Hot The Tigers made 12 of their 15 second-half shots and 14 of their 15 second-half free throws in their win at Manhattan last week.
On the Defensive Princeton's four opponents this season have combined for 27 assists (6.8 per game) and 68 turnovers (17 per game).
More Defensiveness The Tigers have allowed 45 and 39 points in their last two games and held VMI, which is averaging 105 points per game this season, to just 68 points in the game prior to that.
Striping It The Tigers have 74 free-throw attempts this season compared to 55 for their opponents. Princeton last finished a season with more free-throw attempts than its opponents in 1997-98.
Familiar Faces Princeton and Lafayette are playing for the 17th straight season. The Tigers won eight straight in the series from 1990-1997; the Leopards have won the game in five of the last eight seasons.
Home Court Disadvantage Princeton has won each of its last two games at Lafayette; Lafayette has won each of its last two games at Jadwin Gym.
Road Warriors Princeton is playing its first seven games this season away from Jadwin Gym. The Tigers' home opener comes against Lehigh next Wednesday.
Non-Conference Call Princeton now has three non-conference wins this season; the Tigers had two non-league wins all of last season.
MORE ABOUT PRINCETON & LAFAYETTE
Tale of Two Cities Princeton is 32-6 against Lafayette in games played in Princeton and 10-10 against the Leopards in games played in Easton.
Point, Counterpoint Neither Princeton nor Lafayette has scored more than 57 points in any of the last three meetings between the teams.
Lid Lifters Both Princeton and Lafayette played in an exempt preseason tournament. The Tigers played in the BCA Classic at Ohio State; the Leopards played in the NIT Season Tip-Off in Indianapolis.
Opposites Attract Princeton has won three straight games since a season-opening loss to Loyola Chicago. Lafayette has lost five straight games since a season-opening win at Wagner.
A Tight One Princeton defeated Lafayette 40-38 in Easton two seasons ago. Neither team led by more than five points at any time during the game.
Batting .700 Princeton head coach Joe Scott has a 7-3 record against Lafayette as either an assistant coach or head coach for the Tigers.
TEAM NOTES & ANECDOTES
Injury Report Junior guard Matt Sargeant has a hairline fracture in his left pinkie and is out for today's game. Senior forward Luke Owings missed two weeks of practice after suffering an ankle sprain Oct. 23 but has returned to start each of Princeton's first four games.
553 & Counting Princeton is one of only three Division I teams (Vanderbilt and UNLV are the others) to have made at least one three-point shot in every game since the rule took effect in 1986-87. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 553 straight games.
Why They Call Them Free The Tigers have made 31 of 38 free throws (.816) in their last two games after making 21 of 36 free throws (58.3%) in their first two games.
Accepting Charity Princeton finished fourth in the nation last season in free-throw percentage as a team, connecting on 77.3% of its free-throw attempts (266 of 344). Saint Joseph's, New Hampshire and Gonzaga finished ahead of the Tigers.
From Downtown Princeton's four returning starters from a year ago are shooting 22 for 51 (43%) from three-point range. They combined to shoot 139 of 368 (38%) from three-point range last season.
More From Downtown Princeton made 10 or more three-point shots in a game nine times in 27 games last season, including five times in the last 12 games of the season.
Quite A Streak Princeton had 20 consecutive seasons with a .500 or better record before finishing with a 12-15 record in 2005-06.
Coach Speak Joe Scott is in his third season as Princeton's head coach and his 11th season overall as a coach for the Tigers. He was an assistant for eight seasons at Princeton from 1992-2000.
More Coach Speak Joe Scott played point guard for the Tigers from 1983-87 and still ranks tied for fifth all-time at Princeton with 144 steals.
Even More Coach Speak Joe Scott was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 (at Air Force) and finished fourth in the balloting for Associated Press National Coach of the Year.
Final Coach Speak Assistant coaches Mike Brennan and Howard Levy also played basketball at Princeton for former coach Pete Carril, who was also Scott's head coach.
Branching Out Five Princeton graduates or former Princeton assistant coaches are currently Division I head coaches. (Bill Carmody, Northwestern; Chris Mooney, Richmond; Craig Robinson, Brown; Joe Scott, Princeton; John Thompson, Georgetown).
Wait 'Til Next Year! Princeton will play in the Maui Invitational in November 2007 along with Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, LSU, Marquette and host Chaminade.
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Captain, My Captain Senior Justin Conway is Princeton's team captain in 2006-07. Conway is a former walk-on to the program who had played one career minute prior to Jan. 29 of last season.
Numbers Game Justin Conway has averaged 9.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 17 games since becoming a starter last January.
More Honors Justin Conway earned honorable mention All-Ivy honors in 2005-06 despite not playing in Princeton's first two league games.
Bombs Away Kyle Koncz has made at least three three-point shots in 13 of his last 26 games.
More Bombs Away 153 of Kyle Koncz's 186 field-goal attempts (83%) the last two seasons have come from three-point range.
Shooting Star Kyle Koncz had made 13 of his 24 three-point attempts and all 11 of his free-throw attempts this season.
Conference Call Luke Owings earned honorable-mention All-Ivy honors as a junior. He averaged almost 11 points and five rebounds in conference play.
Experience Luke Owings had played in 77 career games entering 2006-07, 22 more than any other Princeton player entering the season.
Arc Madness Noah Savage needs five three-point shots to move into the top 15 all-time at Princeton and eight three-pointers to reach 100 for his career.
Point Man Noah Savage is Princeton's leading returning scorer from a year ago. He averaged exactly 10 points per game as a sophomore.
Helping Out Marcus Schroeder's seven assists against VMI Nov. 11 were the most by a Princeton player since Will Venable had seven assists against Harvard in March 2005.
Gunn-Er Lincoln Gunn's three-point shot with 33 seconds left gave Princeton a five-point lead against VMI Nov. 11. Gunn took 14 three-pointers in three games at the BCA Classic, making four.
Start Here, Start There Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn were also the starting backcourt at De La Salle High School in Concord, Calif. in 2005-06, leading their team to a 32-1 record and a state title.
Old School Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn have known each other and played basketball together since elementary school.
Stritt Talk Michael Strittmatter scored a career-high 17 points in Princeton's loss to Loyola Nov. 10. Strittmatter has made 14 of his 21 shots in Princeton's first four games this season.
Buffed Up Edwin Buffmire averaged more than 25 minutes per game off the bench in 2005-06. He shot nearly 50% from the field and led Princeton in blocked shots.
History Lesson Kevin Steuerer's father Mickey was a team captain for the 1975 Princeton team that won the NIT, the only Ivy League team to have won a postseason national tournament.
Related Matters Chris Petrie is the nephew of former Tiger standout and current Sacramento Kings general manager Geoff Petrie. His father, George, is the men's basketball coach at Gettysburg College.