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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Harvard
Tigers Rout Harvard, 75-48, Improve to 8-3 in Ivy Play
February 25, 2006 | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2006
Box Score
Kyle Koncz insists there nothing about Harvard that makes his shots go in the basket. But whatever the reason behind it, the Princeton sophomore was the biggest reason behind a Saturday night rout of the Crimson at Jadwin Gym.
15 days after scoring a then-career-best 20 points and knocking down six three-pointers against the Crimson, Koncz scored 23 points and knocked down five of six three-pointers as Princeton won going away against the Crimson, 75-48, before a season-high 3,804 at Jadwin Gym.
The sophomore made four of those five three-pointers in the first half as Princeton (10-14, 8-3 Ivy) took a 37-19 halftime lead. Koncz wasn't the only Tiger hot from beyond the arc, as Princeton made a season-high 13 three-pointers on 19 attempts.
"I hadn't been shooting well since that Harvard game," said Koncz, who was just 4-for-17 from the field in a five-game stretch since that day. "We ran our offense well and I got open shots and they started to go in."
Princeton's offense was much of the story throughout the night, as the Tigers shot a season-best 63% from the field (25 for 40) and has assists on 21 of their 25 baskets. Six Princeton players made at least one three-pointer.
The Tigers also did the job on defense, limiting Harvard (12-13, 4-8 Ivy) big men Brian Cusworth and Matt Stehle to a combined 15 points and 10 field-goal attempts. The Crimson, who lost their seventh straight game, also shot just 1 for 9 from three-point range.
"I thought defensively we did a good job tonight on their big guys and not letting them get the ball," said Princeton head coach Joe Scott. "When you're doing those things, you seem to have more confidence on the offensive end, get good shots and make them." Princeton also got double-figure scoring games from Scott Greenman, who had 11 points and a season-high six assists, and Justin Conway, who had 10 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals.
"Scott has had a great month of February, and I give him a lot of credit for coming back from where he was earlier in the year," said Scott. "Justin is playing well and I think he's getting better, which will only help us."
Jim Goffredo led Harvard with 14 points. The Crimson lost at Jadwin Gym for the 17th straight season.
Princeton never trailed and used a 9-0 run midway through the second half to explode to a 29-13 lead on a backdoor layup by Koncz with 6:22 left in the first half. Koncz's fourth three-pointer of the half with 53 seconds left made it 37-19 Princeton at halftime.
The Tigers then took a 20-point lead in the first minute of the second half and never led by fewer than 17 points the rest of the game. The 75 points were Princeton's most in regulation this season.
Princeton also outrebounded Harvard 27-15, including 18-6 in the second half.
NOTES * Princeton remained two games behind league leader Penn, which defeated Dartmouth 68-52. The Penn win eliminated Yale and Cornell, leaving the Tigers as the only other team alive in the league race.
* Nine Princeton players scored in the game.
* The Tigers are now shooting 53% (95 for 179) in their last four games and have shot 50% or better from the field in each of those four games.