Repeat at Prouty Gym!
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| St. Bede’s Jeremy Brolley fires over Princeton’s Kyle Arnett in first-half play Friday at Prouty Gym. The Tigers won 66-58. (BCR photo/Mike Vaughn) |
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PRINCETON — If Friday’s 66-58 win over St. Bede is any indication, the Princeton Tigers may be in for another wild ride in the postseason.
The Tigers made up the difference from a 67-38 lopsided loss at St. Bede Jan. 6 to cap the regular season Friday at Prouty Gym. A year ago, they rode the same scenario to a regional win over the Bruins and played themselves to a regional championship. On Tuesday night, they’ll find out if they can complete the cycle when they face the Bruins in the Putnam County 2A Regional opener.
Last season, PHS lost 66-40 at the Academy and came back with a 71-61 win at home before following up with a 56-38 regional triumph at Hall. Friday’s win came nearly to the same day as last year’s triumph.
“It’s a good feeling, and a familiar feeling, too,” said PHS senior Jacob Fisher, who led all scorers with 19 points to go with 9 rebounds. “We definitely wanted to show them, ‘Hey just because we’re a 7 seed doesn’t mean we’re not going to play hard. We’re going to try to win.”
“Hopefully that will give our guys confidence to play that way Tuesday. This doesn’t guarantee a win by any means, but I think we’ll feel better going into the regionals we can at least compete at their level,” PHS coach Jesse Brandt. “I’m sure they’ll be all gung-ho on Tuesday after losing tonight.”
The Tigers asserted themselves from the get-go, jumping out to an 8-1 lead and scoring the final four points of the first quarter on a Fisher putback and Lance Jensen drive to go up 17-11.
A trifecta of 3s by Zach Kieffer, Zach Stroud and Lance Jensen and an inside job by Austin Mack on a wide open look on inbounds pass from Jensen opened up a 30-14 lead with 4:15 to play in the second quarter. Cole Evenson’s hoop off a Bruin turnover made it 32-20 at the half.
“We hit some big shots. When shots go in, obviously it makes the game a lot easier. Spreads the court out and gives the guys on the inside some more room to work,” Brandt said.
The Bruins could never really make up any ground with the teams playing even in the third quarter, 13-13. Bruin reserve Grant Bosnich of DePue came off the bench to hit three 3s early in the fourth quarter and Damin Smith and Harden Harlowe hit one each in the final 20 seconds to make the final outcome closer than the game had played out.
“We lost the game in the first half,” first year St. Bede coach Mike Kilmartin said. “We had five turnovers in a row at one point. It’s nice to play at home. We shot 70 percent at our place and miserably tonight and they reversed that.”
Kilmartin said the scenario isn’t exactly the way he likes going into Tuesday’s regional game, but he’s not sure if his Bruins’ will have a hang-over affect going in.
“Well, (I) could have written a better ending,” he said. “They had starters that didn’t score against us at St. Bede and I knew that wouldn’t happen again. I can’t explain it. We didn’t have much intensity in the first half. We were patting ourselves on the back for the last time we were playing them.”
Kieffer scored 13 points and Jensen, who was held scoreless at the Academy, tossed in 12.
Smith led the Bruins with 17 points and Joe Pyszka added 10.
Fisher said the Tigers won’t rest on their latest triumph on Tuesday.
“To us seniors, it’s feeling good, but in our mind right now we’re thinking we’re coming back for sectionals to play,” he said, noting a potential fourth straight regional title would bring the Tigers back home to play at Prouty Gym.
Notes: The win was the first in the 3-team NCIC race for the Tigers this season with the Bruins falling to 2-2. IVC took first at 3-1. St. Bede won the sophomore prelim 56-50. Michael Bellino had 16 points and Taggart Venegas 11 for SBA. J.J. Vaccaro topped the Kittens (11-17) with 20.
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