Princeton Sputters in Second Half against St. Joseph’s

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Princeton
Photo Credit - Frank Wojciechowski

One season removed from the worst defensive campaign in program history, Princeton will need to continue to look for answers.

82 points should get the Tigers (4-3) a victory on most nights, but getting drilled on the opposite end to the tune of 90+ points will make things difficult.

The St. Joseph’s Hawks (5-4) shot a blistering 55 percent from the field and never trailed. Lamarr Kimble scored 22 points which all came in the second half. Jared Bynum and Tyler Funk added another 19 and 16 points respectively in a game where the Hawks simply shot the ball well.

A 39-36 game got stretched out after with a 21-9 run lead by the redshirt junior Kimble, who came alive after Hawk’s leading scorer Charlie Brown Jr. went down with a foot injury late in the first half.

Princeton was able to remain in arm’s length temporarily due to the accurate shooting of the Ivy League’s second-leading scorer Devin Cannady.

Cannady poured in 23 points that included six threes in another vintage night for the sharpshooting senior. Outside of Cannady (21 ppg), Princeton has yet to develop a consistent offensive identity. Myles Stephens, who entered the contest averaging 13 points per contest, managed to get just 6 points on a 3-8 performance from the field.

Richmond Aririguzoh gave the Tigers a career performance during a perfect night going 3-3 from the field and 8-8 from the charity stripe. Aririguzoh has visibly been in the weight room over the offseason and should continue to be aggressive with his stronger frame to provide a consistent inside presence for Princeton.

Princeton’s 68.5 points per game lead only Cornell in the Ivy League, and they continue to play without top-100 freshman guard Jaelin Llewellyn who injured his foot prior to the beginning of the season. Llewellyn was expected to provide an offensive catalyst for the Tigers, who outside of Cannady can sputter on offense and lack a second true shot creator. Head Coach Mitch Henderson said the team expects to have the prized recruit back by the end of the month. He looked good during shootaround and will need to play a critical part in turning Princeton’s season around after the turn of the new year.

Princeton will need to make a quick mental turnaround before Sunday’s contest against unbeaten St. John’s in Madison Square Garden.  St. John’s boasts Shamorie Ponds who has been one of the nation’s most electric players during this young NCAA season. The Tigers will take the time to visit the World Trade Center site in the city on Saturday.

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