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Princeton University Athletics
Tuesday, December 30
Easton, Pa.
7 p.m.
Princeton University
53
at
54
Lafayette
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
Lafayette Holds Princeton Men's Basketball on Last Possession, Tops Tigers 54-53
December 30, 2008 | Men's Basketball
EASTON, Pa. -- With 28 seconds with which to work and a one-point deficit, the Princeton men's basketball team had the final shot Tuesday night at Lafayette -- the last two shots, to be precise -- but neither fell as the Tigers dropped a 54-53 game to the Leopards.
The last possession resulted from a Lafayette (4-8) turnover at the other end when Jason Briggs picked up a loose ball at the baseline and Princeton (2-8) called timeout. After surveying the court from much of the last possession, Doug Davis found Dan Mavraides with five seconds left, but Mavraides missed, got his own rebound and didn't hit iron in a crowded lane as the final tenths ticked away.
"We came out looking for a shot for (Davis)," Mavraides said. "Then he swung it to me and the clock was ticking. I took a pull-up jump shot that I knew I could make and it didn't fall."
Princeton led for most of the first half, its largest advantage coming at 14-7 with 9:51 left on a Marcus Schroeder three-pointer, but Lafayette scored the next six and neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.
Despite having more turnovers than the Tigers, 15-10, Lafayette made up the difference on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 36-28, and shooting slightly better than Princeton, 38.6 percent to 37.7 percent.
The Leopards' Michael Gruner led all scorers with 15 points and Lafayette's leading scorer on the season, Andrew Brown, added 14. Princeton had two in double figures, with Pawel Buczak and Mavraides each scoring 11.
Princeton will look to snap its six-game skid with its first game of 2009, Saturday at Jadwin Gym against UNC Greensboro. The game will be the first of two nationally-televised contests on ESPNU this season.
The last possession resulted from a Lafayette (4-8) turnover at the other end when Jason Briggs picked up a loose ball at the baseline and Princeton (2-8) called timeout. After surveying the court from much of the last possession, Doug Davis found Dan Mavraides with five seconds left, but Mavraides missed, got his own rebound and didn't hit iron in a crowded lane as the final tenths ticked away.
"We came out looking for a shot for (Davis)," Mavraides said. "Then he swung it to me and the clock was ticking. I took a pull-up jump shot that I knew I could make and it didn't fall."
Princeton led for most of the first half, its largest advantage coming at 14-7 with 9:51 left on a Marcus Schroeder three-pointer, but Lafayette scored the next six and neither team led by more than four the rest of the way.
Despite having more turnovers than the Tigers, 15-10, Lafayette made up the difference on the glass, winning the rebounding battle 36-28, and shooting slightly better than Princeton, 38.6 percent to 37.7 percent.
The Leopards' Michael Gruner led all scorers with 15 points and Lafayette's leading scorer on the season, Andrew Brown, added 14. Princeton had two in double figures, with Pawel Buczak and Mavraides each scoring 11.
Princeton will look to snap its six-game skid with its first game of 2009, Saturday at Jadwin Gym against UNC Greensboro. The game will be the first of two nationally-televised contests on ESPNU this season.
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