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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Central Connecticut
Players Mentioned
Men's Basketball Hangs On For 59-57 Win Over CCSU, Johnson's First Victory
November 11, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Zach Finley was limited to just six minutes by foul trouble in the first half. The Princeton sophomore center certainly made up for lost time in the second half to help his Tigers win the coaching debut of Sydney Johnson '97.
Finley made his first 10 shots, including his first eight of the second half, and scored a career-high 22 points as the Tigers recovered from a poor-shooting first half and held off a final Central Connecticut opportunity for a 59-57 victory before 2,205 at Jadwin Gym Sunday afternoon.
The 6-9 center immediately paid dividends early in the half by scoring six points in the first five minutes of the half to give Princeton (1-0) a 28-26 lead and a 12-2 run to begin the half. He then scored three straight baskets in a 1:05 span just a few minutes later to give the Tigers a 34-29 lead, forcing a Blue Devil timeout.
"Zach is a guy who is comfortable with either hand and can do some good things around the basket," said Johnson, who took over the Princeton program in April. "Once he got back on the court and out of foul trouble he made an impact on the game."
Finley finished the game 10-for-11 from the field, missing only a second-half layup after which he would immediately grab the offensive rebound and be fouled. He just missed out on tying Barnes Hauptfuhrer's school-record 11-for-11 performance against Notre Dame in 1974.
The Tigers would lead by as many as seven points in the second half, including 57-50 after a Noah Savage three-pointer with four minutes left, but Central didn't quit. Joe Seymore's putback in the paint with 43 seconds left made it 59-57 Princeton, and the Blue Devils had a final opportunity after forcing a Princeton turnover in the final 30 seconds.
Tristan Blackwood missed a three-pointer from the right wing, but Tamir Johnson grabbed the offensive board to give his team one final chance. Seymore would miss a layup in the lane with five seconds left, and time expired with the ball loose on the floor.
"I think our defense allowed us to stay in the game in the first half when we weren't making any shots," said Princeton senior captain Kyle Koncz, who had eight of his 10 points in the second half and had a career-high seven rebounds. "Then we were able to make a few shots in the second half and get a lead."
The Tigers made just five of 26 shots in the first half, including 1 of 14 from three-point range, but trailed just 24-16 at halftime thanks to a defensive effort that held Central to just 38% from the field. Princeton would shoot 59% from the field in the second half (17 for 29) and hold the Blue Devils to just 37% shooting in the final 20 minutes.
Princeton also limited Central star Tristan Blackwood to just 3 for 12 shooting, including 2 for 10 from three-point range. Seymore led CCSU with 14 points, while Blackwood scored 12.
The Tigers had assists on 16 of their 22 baskets. Sophomore guard Lincoln Gunn had a career-high five assists for Princeton, which hosts Iona Wednesday night before heading to the EA Sports Maui Invitational on Friday.