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Princeton University Athletics
Princeton University
Arizona State
Players Mentioned
Harden Leads Sun Devils To 61-42 Win Over Tigers On Second Day of EA Sports Maui Invitational
November 20, 2007 | Men's Basketball
It was a tale of two halves for the Princeton men's basketball team Tuesday morning in Maui, as Arizona State freshman James Harden scored 13 of his game-high 22 points in the second half and led a 9-2 run to begin the half to push the Sun Devils to a 61-42 victory over the Tigers on the second day of the EA Sports Maui Invitational at the Lahaina Civic Center.
The Tigers (2-2) used a 10-0 run in the first half to take a 25-23 lead on Marcus Schroeder's left-corner three-pointer with four minutes remaining and trailed just 31-27 at halftime, but the Sun Devils (1-1) took control of the game early in the second half. Harden had a pair of steals and a jumper to put Arizona State ahead by nine points just two minutes into the half, and Jerren Shipp's jumper just more than four minutes in gave ASU its first double-digit lead at 40-29.
Princeton went cold from the field in the final 20 minutes, connecting on just five of 19 second-half shots (26.3%). Lincoln Gunn's three-pointer from the right wing with 13:54 left was Princeton's first field goal of the half and pulled the Tigers within 10 at 42-32, and Marcus Schroeder then drove the lane to make it 42-34 a minute later, but Harden then completed a three-point play in the lane to give the Sun Devils a double-digit lead once again.
"I thought for much of the game we were able to get the kinds of shots we wanted, but we simply didn't make enough of them," said Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson. "Coach Sendek and Arizona State have an excellent game plan and stuck with it throughout the game."
That game plan included finding Harden, who shot 6 for 8 in the second half and 8 for 12 for the game and ended the day with 22 points, four rebounds and three steals. Guard Ty Abbott drilled his first four three-pointers in the first half and finished with 19 points for ASU, which shot 60% in the decisive second half (12 for 20).
Schroeder led Princeton with 12 points, shooting 5 for 7 from the field and 2 for 3 from three-point range. The rest of the Tigers, however, combined to shoot 3 for 23 from behind the three-point arc.
"I thought we played better today overall but the game kind of got away from us in the end," said Princeton sophomore Lincoln Gunn, who had a team-high four assists. "We were able to get a lot of good looks but didn't convert."
Princeton played an outstanding first half of basketball, particularly in a four-minute stretch late in the half after falling behind 23-15. Noah Savage hit a left-corner three-pointer with 7:24 left to make it 23-18 ASU, and Schroeder then drove the lane and scored on a scoop shot to make it 23-20 a minute later.
Savage, who finished 5 for 5 from the foul line, then made two shots to make it 23-22, and Schroeder would then conclude the run with his left-corner three to give Princeton the lead.
Seven of the 11 Tigers who played scored. Zach Finley had eight points and a team-high five rebounds, while Savage also had eight points and added two assists.
Princeton will play host Chaminade on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised by ESPNU. LSU and Arizona State will play in the 5th/6th place game at 2 p.m. ET.