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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Columbia
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Armstrong's Late Jumper Gives Columbia 65-64 Win over Princeton
February 18, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 18, 2006
Box Score
NEW YORK - Justin Armstrong made two huge baseline jumpers in the final minute, including the game-winning 12-footer with 11 seconds left, as Columbia defeated Princeton for the first time since 2001, 65-64, in a men's basketball game played before 2,268 at Levien Gym Saturday night.
After Princeton's Noah Savage missed the front end of a one-and-one situation with 27 seconds left, Columbia called timeout to set up a final play. Armstrong then drove the right baseline and drained a mid-range jumper to put his team up by one.
Savage had a game-winning attempt for the Tigers (8-14, 6-3 Ivy) on Princeton's last possession, but his three-point attempt from the right corner was short and the Tigers couldn't control the rebound as time expired.
The Lions (10-13, 3-7 Ivy), who led for most of the first 30 minutes of the game, trailed 62-58 after Justin Conway made two free throws for Princeton with 2:22 left. Columbia still trailed by three after two Scott Greenman free throws with under a minute left for Princeton, but Armstrong scored on a similar play to his eventual game-winning attempt and was fouled with 45 seconds left to pull his team within 64-63.
He missed the free-throw attempt, however, and Columbia was forced to foul at the other end. Savage's first shot on the bonus attempt went halfway down before coming out, setting up Columbia's final attempt.
The Lions, who had lost to Princeton nine straight times and defeated the Tigers for just the second time in the past 26 meetings, led 32-22 at halftime and by as many as 11 points early in the second half before the Tigers made a huge run to get back into the game. Greenman, who scored all of his game-high 17 points in the second half, led the charge. He drained two threes in a 8-0 Princeton run that pulled the Tigers within 43-40 with 13 minutes left, and his two free throws with 9:40 left gave Princeton its first lead since the first half, 49-48.
The teams traded leads after that until the Tigers took a 60-58 lead on a Conway layup with four minutes left.
Columbia, which had defeated league-leader Penn on a last-second shot a day earlier, shot 63% from the field for the game (17 for 27) to make up for committing 20 turnovers. The Lions made eight of 13 three-point attempts and finished 23 for 28 from the line.
John Baumann and Armstrong each had 15 points for the Lions, while Brett Loscalzo made four of his team's eight three-pointers and had 12 points.
Luke Owings had 14 points and Conway a career-high 13 for Princeton, which shot 50% from the field (24 for 48) but just 8 for 25 from three-point range. The Tigers shot 60% from the field in the second half to recover from their 10-point deficit.
Princeton lost for the first time this season when scoring 51 or more points in regulation. The Tigers had just nine turnovers.