Gallery by Greg Barnett
Princeton – Princeton’s 76 points scored Tuesday night would be a success by most accounts.
Tigers head coach Robb Williams didn’t see it that way. Though it would be hard to with his team averaging over 100 points through three contests. Still the Tigers’ lowest output of the season was more than good enough to earn their fourth win.
Five different Tigers reached double figures Tuesday at Ralph Ball Court as they remained unbeaten with a 76-59 win over sectional foe Oak Hill.
“I’m very disappointed from the standpoint of effort,” Williams said. “We certainly didn’t quit but we’re a little better basketball team than we showed tonight. I don’t know that we’re a 103-point average team but tonight was not our best effort and a couple guys struggled a little bit with intensity. A couple of our older young men struggled with intensity and that makes it tough for a coach. Again, I’m fortunate to have 11 guys on the roster that are basketball players and that’s why you get the balanced scoring. We don’t have that guy that scores 30 a game but we’ve got any given night five or six guys that can score 12 to 16.”
The disappointment stemmed from a stretch where the Tigers seemingly had the game in hand with an easy night ahead of them.
Leading 16-10 in the final minute of the first quarter, the Tigers scored on a layup from Dom Collins and a 3-pointer from Nic Flemming to take a 21-10 advantage into the second frame.
A quick 14-5 run that featured a pair of 3s and eight points overall from Kris Joyce pushed the Princeton lead to 20 points with the hosts’ fourth 25-plus point victory on the horizon.
The Red Devils had other ideas.
A pair off Malachi Lewis free throws, a Trevor Kelly layup and a Lewis layup comprised an immediate 6-0 run that prompted a Williams timeout, giving the Red Devils new life.
“We were in foul trouble and we were fouling,” Oak Hill coach Benitez Jackson said. “I didn’t think it was anything about the officials. We were getting beat in bad spots and not getting matched up in transition and we were turning the ball over. When they went on that run there in the first and second quarter we were turning the ball over and not being strong with it. Those were thins we knew were coming. We knew they’d try to trap us and run all over the place and be physical. It just took our guys a little while to get used to that physicality.”
The lead sat at 13 at the break for the hosts who forced 13 Oak Hill turnovers in the opening half.
Late in the third quarter the visitors made their push.
Down 47-31, the Red Devils scored five straight courtesy of Lewis, Kelly and Jeremiah Jackson before Flemming added a layup to push the lead to 12 at the penultimate buzzer.
The gut check came early in the final frame when Kelly was fouled, split a pair of free throws and Lewis grabbed an offensive rebound for a putback to make it a 49-40 game with over seven minutes to go.
Just as they had all night, the Tigers responded to keep the Red Devils at arms length with a crew of contributors. Coen Sartin took the first shot with a two-pointer that reestablished a double digit lead and Jared Watson followed with a 3 to push the lead back to 14. Ethan Vargo-Thomas quelled the run with a pair of free throws but Sartin added a pair of 3s and the lead never fell below 16 the rest of the way.
Despite closing the game with their highest scoring quarter of the contest at 22 points, the visitors couldn’t solve the Tiger offense which responded with a 27-point showing in the fourth quarter.
“They shoot the ball well and at any given time they’ve got five guys on the court that aren’t afraid to shoot 3s,” Jackson said. “They spread you out and try to drive you. I don’t think they do anything special offensively but what they do is really effective when you’ve got four or five guys that can handle the ball and get by you. Not only are they threats to go by you and get layups but they shoot the ball well and they offensive rebound. The shot goes up and they go in there and rebound. They’re a tough team and will get better throughout the season just like we will but they’re going to be a tough out if we don’t get down and play good defense.”
Consistent intensity was one of Williams’ concerns coming into the season with Tuesday’s showing affirming that. Still it was hard to be displeased with the overall outcome.
“Our intensity on the defensive end picked up during the second and fourth quarter,” Williams said. “The transition offense off of the defense made the big difference too. We have a lot of shooters this year but when they all struggle – and tonight we had every one of them shoot an air ball tonight. That doesn’t happen and I thought we had everyone off tonight. But an off night and we get a win against a very physical and athletic team, I can’t be that unhappy but I was hoping to be able to rest a little but and get over this flu.”
Sartin led the way for Princeton with 16 points – all coming in the first and fourth quarters. Flemming (14), Collins (13), Chase Hancock (12) and Joyce (13) rounded out the double-figure scorers. Kelly led Oak Hill with 17 while Vargo-Thomas and Lewis scored 14 each.
Email: tylerjackson@lootpress.com and follow on Twitter @tjack94
OH: 10 15 12 22 – 59
P: 21 17 11 27 – 76
Oak Hill
Moses Manns 1, Malachi Lewis 14, Cole Legg 1, Ethan Vargo-Thomas 14, Jeremiah Jackson 10, Trevor Kelly 17
Princeton
Nic Flemming 14, Gavin Stover 4, Dom Collins 13, Chase Hancock 12, Reed Thomas 1, Kris Joyce 13, Jared Watson 3, Koen Sartin 16
3-point goals – OH: 2 (Kelly); P: 8 (Flemming 1, Stover 1, Hancock 1, Joyce 2, Watson 1, Sartin 2)
