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Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Men's Basketball Hosts Penn in Season Finale Tuesday Night
March 05, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Almost one year ago to the day, Princeton beat league champion Penn in an overtime thriller at Jadwin Gym on Senior Night. The Tigers hope for a repeat performance Tuesday when they host the Quakers in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. (ESPNU, WBUD-AM 1260, GoPrincetonTigers.com).
Princeton's three seniors are team captain Justin Conway, Edwin Buffmire and Luke Owings, and they will be recognized on the court in a pregame ceremony. All three have been starters at some point in their careers, and Owings has played in an impressive 104 career games as a Tiger.
The Tigers (11-16, 2-11 Ivy) have lost four straight games since a win over Columbia at Jadwin Gym Feb. 17. League champion Penn (21-8, 12-1 Ivy) has won nine straight games after suffering its only Ivy loss Feb. 3 at Yale.
Three weeks ago at The Palestra, Princeton and Penn were tied at 29 with 11 minutes left. But the Tigers went cold from the field after that and fell by a 48-35 score to the Quakers, who were led by Mark Zoller's 17 points and eight rebounds.
Conway hit the game-winning layup for Princeton in the overtime win a year ago, taking a pass from Scott Greenman and scoring with 2.5 seconds left in the extra period to give Princeton a 60-59 win.
At least one game between the teams has gone to overtime in each of the last three seasons prior to this year. Princeton won last year and at The Palestra in 2004 in overtime, while Penn came back to win in overtime at The Palestra in 2005.
FACT OF THE DAY
Good Memories Princeton defeated league champion Penn 60-59 in overtime in last year's regular-season finale at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers' Justin Conway hit a layup with 2.5 seconds left to give his team the victory in that game.
EIGHT MORE THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
Senior Night Princeton's three seniors (Edwin Buffmire, Justin Conway, Luke Owings) will be recognized in a ceremony prior to the game. All three have been starters during their careers at Princeton.
Up The Charts Luke Owings has 114 career three-point shots, good for 11th on Princeton's all-time list. Owings, who has played in 104 games, is a career 41% shooter from beyond the arc.
Conway's Way Justin Conway played in one career game prior to last Jan. 29 but has started 35 of Princeton's last 40 games since that time. Conway is Princeton's team captain in 2006-07.
Making His Mark Edwin Buffmire has played in 55 games during his Princeton career. He has been limited to just 15 minutes in the last nine games due to a sprained right ankle.
We Shall Return Princeton has started three freshmen (Marcus Schroeder, Lincoln Gunn, Zach Finley) in each of its last 13 games. Schroeder and Gunn have started every game this season.
Close Calls Princeton has been in a one-possession game in the final three minutes in six of its 11 Ivy League defeats and in the final 10 minutes in nine of its 11 Ivy League defeats.
Tale of 2 Seasons Leading scorer Kyle Koncz was averaging 11.5 points per game and shooting 50% from three-point range before suffering a foot injury Dec. 30. Koncz has not practiced since that injury.
Aloha Princeton will play in the Maui Invitational this November, joining Duke, Oklahoma State, LSU, Marquette, Illinois and Arizona State in the field.
BACK TO THE IVY LEAGUE...
Injury Report Kyle Koncz wears a boot on his left foot and does not practice but has played in the team's last seven games
Injury Report 2 Justin Conway has a lower back injury and did not play against Yale Saturday. Conway is probable to play against Penn Tuesday.
Minute Man Freshman guard Marcus Schroeder leads NCAA Division I in minutes played per game (38.9). Schroeder has played 1049 of a possible 1090 minutes this season.
Outside the Lines Princeton has taken 583 three-point shots (21.6 per game) and 553 two-point shots (20.5 per game) this season.
Three In A Row Three Princeton players have passed the 100-career-three-pointer mark this season. Luke Owings now has 114 three-pointers, Noah Savage has 106 three-point shots and Kyle Koncz now has 101 “threes.”
On The Defensive Princeton leads NCAA Division I in scoring defense in 2006-07 (52.9 ppg).
MORE NOTES & ANECDOTES
In Charge Princeton Director of Athletics Gary Walters is the chairperson of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Committee this season. 2006-07 is Walters' fifth and final year on the committee.
Wait 'Til Next Year! Princeton will play in the Maui Invitational in November 2007 along with Duke, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, LSU, Marquette and host Chaminade.
Charity Cases Princeton shot 71% from the free-throw line in its 14 non-conference games but is shooting 61% from the foul line in its 13 conference games. The Tigers finished fourth in the nation in free-throw shooting a year ago (77.3%).
576 & Counting Princeton is one of only three Division I teams (Vanderbilt and UNLV are the others) to have made at least one three-point shot in every one of its games since the rule took effect for the 1986-87 season. The Tigers have now made at least one three-pointer in 576 straight games.
The 60's Princeton has won 36 of its last 38 games (2003-04 to present) in which it has scored 60 or more points in regulation time.
Us Or Them Either Princeton (nine times) or Penn (10 times) has been the Ivy League's NCAA tournament representative in each of the last 19 seasons (1989-2006).
Us Or Them 2 Princeton has won 25 Ivy League titles; Penn has won 25 Ivy championships. The other six Ivy League schools have combined to win 10 league crowns.
Shining Moments Princeton has made 23 NCAA tournament appearances. Only 21 Division I schools had made more appearances than the Tigers entering 2006-07.
Coach Speak Joe Scott is in his third season as Princeton's head coach and his 11th season overall as a coach for the Tigers. He was an assistant for eight seasons at Princeton from 1992-2000.
More Coach Speak Joe Scott played point guard for the Tigers from 1983-87 and still ranks tied for fifth all-time at Princeton with 144 steals.
Even More Coach Speak Joe Scott was named the Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2004 (at Air Force) and finished fourth in the balloting for Associated Press National Coach of the Year.
Final Coach Speak Assistant coaches Mike Brennan and Howard Levy also played basketball at Princeton for former coach Pete Carril, who was also Scott's head coach.
Branching Out Five Princeton graduates or former Princeton assistant coaches are currently Division I head coaches. (Bill Carmody, Northwestern; Chris Mooney, Richmond; Craig Robinson, Brown; Joe Scott, Princeton; John Thompson, Georgetown).
PLAYER NOTES & ANECDOTES
Captain, My Captain Senior Justin Conway is Princeton's team captain in 2006-07. Conway is a former walk-on to the program who had played one career minute prior to Jan. 29 of last season.
Numbers Game Justin Conway has averaged 6.6 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35 games as a starter beginning last January.
More Honors Justin Conway earned honorable mention All-Ivy honors in 2005-06 despite not playing in Princeton's first two Ivy League games.
Bombs Away Kyle Koncz has made at least three three-point shots in 19 of his last 46 games.
Buckets & Buckets Kyle Koncz made at least three three-point shots in each of Princeton's first six games this season.
More Bombs Away 260 of Kyle Koncz's 313 field-goal attempts (83%) the last two seasons have come from three-point range.
Experience Luke Owings has now played in 104 career games entering today's game, 23 more than any other Princeton player (Noah Savage with 81).
Conference Call Luke Owings earned honorable-mention All-Ivy honors as a junior. He averaged almost 11 points and five rebounds in conference play.
Politics Major Luke Owings is the Vice President of Princeton's Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (VSAAC).
Point Man Noah Savage was Princeton's leading returning scorer at the beginning of this year. He averaged exactly 10 points per game as a sophomore.
Iron Man Marcus Schroeder has played every minute in 19 of Princeton's 27 games. He has played all 160 minutes in the team's last four games.
Helping Out Marcus Schroeder's seven assists against VMI Nov. 11 were the most by a Princeton player since Will Venable had seven assists against Harvard in March 2005.
Gunn-Er Lincoln Gunn has made five three-pointers twice this season, against Harvard Feb. 9 and at South Carolina Dec. 20.
Handling It Lincoln Gunn and Marcus Schroeder have combined for 126 assists and 91 turnovers this season.
Old School Marcus Schroeder and Lincoln Gunn have known each other and played basketball together since elementary school.
Stritt Talk 6-8 Michael Strittmatter has made 22 of his 49 three-point attempts in Princeton's first 27 games this season.
Mr. Reliable Edwin Buffmire had played in every game off the bench this season before a sprained ankle kept him out of four straight games between Feb. 9-16.
History Lesson Kevin Steuerer's father Mickey was a team captain for the 1975 Princeton team that won the NIT, the only Ivy League team to have won a postseason national tournament.