Mitch Henderson’s Tigers squared off against the Bucknell Bison Tuesday night at Jadwin Gym. The Tigers entered the game as solid 12.5-point favorites. Bucknell came in at 2-7, a dreary start to the season. They lost at home to Penn by five points and on the road to Hofstra by 19.
The Tigers have been up and down of late, struggling somewhat on defense. But Henderson believes the stirring overtime win last week against Drexel may serve as a tonic for his club.
In hoping for something of breather, Henderson got his wish tonight as the Tigers cruised to an 82-69 win.
Princeton seized the momentum early and held it throughout the game. Princeton established a double-digit lead in the first five minutes, allowing Henderson to use an entire platoon of players. Before the proceedings ended, he would put 16 bodies on the floor. The first half ended with the Tigers firmly grasping a 13-point lead, 45-32.
The second half was more of back-and-forth affair. The Bison cut the lead to single digits, but then Langborg or Friberg or Llewellyn would nail a three to restore order. Each team scored 37 in the period, preserving the 13-point halftime margin.
Tosan Evbuomwan, whose playing time was limited to 20 minutes, continued his stellar run of excellent performances. He scored 16 points (8-for-10 from the field), captured six rebounds, and dished out five assists. What you see in Evbuomwan is a player maturing right before your eyes. Physically, he is the same player he was six weeks ago, but mentally his confidence level is soaring, and, with it, his production.
Jaelin Llewellyn turned in a first-rate game at both ends. He led the Tigers with 20 points (8-for-12), including 4-for-6 from deep. His three-point shooting has been somewhat inconsistent, but Henderson expects him to shoot the way he did tonight. If he can continue to do that, the offense will percolate.
Ryan Langborg (14) and Drew Friberg (13) gave the Tigers four double-figure scorers. Friberg’s return to form after being hampered by a health issue is most welcome and encouraging. After the game, Friberg said he was relieved to get back on the floor at full strength and to find his stroke from deep. Ethan Wright’s stat line was interesting: five points, five rebounds and five assists in just over half the game.
As a team the Tigers launched 69 shots to the Bison’s 49. Princeton made 34, including 10-for-29 from beyond the arc. These are gaudy numbers indeed, but the Tigers believe they can continue to achieve this level of efficiency.
Before breaking for exams next week, the Tigers visit Lafayette for a Saturday matinee. Just two days later, UMBC visits Jadwin for what Henderson expects to be a very competitive contest.
The pre-Christmas exam schedule is the first in Princeton history. Aside from a Division III tune-up on the 21st, Princeton will be off until the Ivy League opener at Harvard on January 2.