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Rutgers Holds On For 54-50 Win Over Princeton At The RAC
December 01, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Jaron Griffin hit two free throws to put Rutgers ahead for good with 1:01 left and Corey Chandler had a key steal and a pair of free throws in the final minute as the Scarlet Knights outlasted Princeton, 54-50, in a men's basketball game played before 4,527 at the RAC Saturday afternoon.
Princeton (2-5) had tied the game at 48 with 3:34 left when Matt Sargeant found Marcus Schroeder all alone underneath for a layup, but neither team would score again until Griffin's free throws, which came as a result of an unlucky foul by Zach Finley when the Tiger center was falling to the floor heading for a loose ball.
The Tigers then had the ball in the final 30 seconds but turned it over and had to foul. Chandler would then miss two free throws with 25 seconds left, but Rutgers (5-2) controlled the offensive rebound and Chandler then made both shots after a Princeton foul to make it 52-48.
Princeton's Kyle Koncz then had a putback with six seconds left to make it 52-50, but Anthony Farmer made two free throws on the other end for Rutgers to put the game away.
"Definitely some little things cost us at the end of this one," said Princeton head coach Sydney Johnson. "I also thought Rutgers made some plays and hit some key shots at big spots as well."
The Tigers had a strong start to the game behind hot three-point shooting and good defense, taking a 30-22 lead when Lincoln Gunn drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key with 3:32 left in the first half, forcing a timeout from RU coach Fred Hill. Princeton, which shot 6 for 10 from the three-point line in the first half, settled for a 30-25 halftime advantage.
Princeton wasn't as efficient from the field as the second half began, however, making just three field goals in the half's first 10 minutes. Still, Gunn's long three-pointer with 10:30 left in the game tied the game, for the sixth time, at 39-39.
Rutgers would go on to lead by as many as five after that, when Mike Coburn scored in the lane to make it 48-43 with 5:50 left, but Koncz hit a big three-point shot for Princeton 14 seconds later after a Tiger 30-second timeout and Schroeder tied the game for Princeton two minutes later.
Gunn had 13 points and a career-best 10 rebounds for Princeton, giving the Tigers a "double-double" for the second straight game after Princeton had not had a "double-double" since Jan. 2005. Finley, who played only 15 minutes due to foul trouble on Saturday, had 14 points and 11 rebounds against Seton Hall Wednesday.
J.R. Inman had a game-high 16 points and eight rebounds for Rutgers, which won its third straight game over Princeton. Griffin had nine of his 13 points in the second half to help the Scarlet Knights recover from their halftime deficit.
Gunn added three assists for Princeton, which made just three of 12 second-half three-point attempts after making six of 10 in the first half. The Tigers' nine three-pointers marked the third time in seven games this season Princeton has made at least nine "threes" in a game.
"We came out strong and I think our defense was good throughout the game, but they stepped up their defensive pressure in the second half," said Princeton's Noah Savage, who had nine points and three assists. "The stretch toward the end of the first half and beginning of the second half hurt us."
Princeton and Rutgers were playing for the 114th time in men's basketball. The teams have played every season but one since the end of World War II.