Princeton’s second straight game against an 0-6 opponent, this time the Maine Black Bears, offered the Tigers a chance to work on some of the bothersome trends that emerged in the first four games.
Shooting has been a real, although unexpected, issue throughout the roster except for Devin Cannady. Maine, coached by former Tiger women’s coach Richard Barron, has found it difficult to find its footing in Barron’s first season after several years at the helm of the Maine women.
The Tigers, getting a tremendous lift from Devin Cannady’s season-high 28, controlled this one throughout, leading by as many as 19 before closing the door at Maine, 73-59. Cannady was 7-for-10 from the field, 5-for-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. Several of his long-range bombs drew “oohs” and “aahs” from the Bangor fans.
Cannady now has 1,294 points, as he jumped two spots to reach 10th on the all-time scoring list, passing Gabe Lewullis ’99 and Bud Haabestad ’55. Next on the ladder is the legendary Geoff Petrie ’70, whom he trails by 27.
Myles Stephens tallied nine points to reach No. 28 on the all-time list with 1,058 points.
Henderson moved away from the helter-skelter substitution patterns he employed in the first four games, relying on a core of seven players for the bulk of the playing time. The diminutive Jose Morales, who provided a lot of energy against Monmouth coming off the bench, was rewarded with a start and a game-high 33 minutes. Although he did not score, his presence was felt from baseline to baseline.
Richmond Aririguzoh got most of the minutes at the five-spot and he responded with his first career double-double, 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sophomores Ryan Schwieger, Jerome Desrosiers and Sebastian Much each played between 17 and 20 minutes. Collectively, they accounted for 20 points and eight rebounds.
The Tigers set the tone in the first half, taking a 36-25 lead after 20 minutes. The offensive effort was fueled by a welcome 52 percent effort from the field and 57 percent from three. The Tiger bench accounted for 19 points to none for the Maine team. Cannady was “held” to eight points in the first stanza.
Cannady’s 20-point second-half explosion became the latest edition of the “Devin and Friends Show.” Maine played hard and held its own in the late-going, but every time it appeared poised to make a run, Cannady nailed a three-point grenade. He drew enough fouls to get to the line nine times, the one place you absolutely don’t want him to be. Overall, the Tigers scored 20 free throws to none for the Black Bears.
Still no word on the return of Jaelin Llewellyn, although coach Mitch Henderson is clearly optimistic that the freshman will reach the floor sooner rather than later. He was pleased with the effort he got tonight but readily acknowledges that this young team has a long way to go. Henderson is certain this club is trending in the right direction, good news for Tiger fans.
George Washington visits Jadwin Gym for a 4 p.m. start Saturday.
Great summary, George. And a nice win for Princeton. Yes, Maine is winless this season. But this was their first home game of the season and they were motivated to put an end to their losing streak. To Princeton’s credit, the Tigers played with energy and heart and turned away the Black Bears throughout the game. The really good news is that Princeton seems to be improving. I agree with Toothless that many problems remain, but it was fun to watch the Tigers shoot well last night and earn the program’s first ever victory against Maine. Congrats to DC for another amazing night on the hardwood and for cracking the legendary top 10 list in program scoring. Because he’s such an amazing shooter, I think it’s easy to overlook how much Devin contributes in other ways. He’s a great rebounder and playmaker. And of course he’s money from the charity stripe. Truly a Mount Rushmore figure for Princeton basketball. Go Tigers!