Tigers Outscore Knights 56-32 Over Final 23:56; EB’s Bell Scores Season High 13 Points
| Former East Brunswick HS standout, Amir Bell scores for Princeton in the first half against FDU. Bell scored a season high 13 as the Tigers defeated the Knights, 91-61. |
PRINCETON, NJ–They had squared off many times in high school. East Brunswick’s Amir Bell and Former St. Joseph’s and Cardinal McCarrick standout, Marques Townes squared off many times and in a number of big games including perhaps the greatest in the history of the Greater Middlesex Conference/Middlesex County Tournament. The two faced off again when Townes and FDU visited Jadwin Gym to take on Bell and the Princeton Tigers in a non-conference contest. However, Princeton’s Henry Caruso would steal the show in a 91-61 victory.
Shooting 10 of 11 from the field, Caruso ended up with a game high 27 points as he helped Princeton finish the game on a 56-32 surge over the final 23:56 for the 30 point win. Bell turned in a solid effort with a season high 13 points. The sophomore and former EBHS standout, went 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 4 from the foul line to tally his points. Bell also collected 3 assists and 2 steals. Former Seton Hall Prep standout, Spencer Weisz only had 3 points on the night, but still played a big part in the win with 8 boards and 7 assists. Townes played 20 minutes and collected 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists for the Knights.
Leading FDU in a losing cause was Darlan Anderson, who scored a team high 13 points while also collecting 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 30 minutes. Ghassan Nehme also scored in double figures with 11 points while collecting three rebounds before fouling out. Monmouth transfer, and former St. Peter’s Prep standout, Tyrone O’Garro collected 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and a block in 21 minutes. According to the Princeton Athletics web site, the Tigers shot 31 of 59 from the floor overall including 37.5 percent from beyond the arc as they outscored the Knights by a 27-12 margin. Princeton also went 20 of 34 from the foul line versus 19 of 32 by FDU. The Tigers dominated the boards with a 49-30 advantage in rebounds including a 16-13 edge on the offensive glass.
The edge on the boards translated to a 40-29 advantage in points in the paint, and an 18-7 edge in second chance points. FDU did enjoy a 21-12 edge in points off turnovers, a 10-8 edge in fast break points, and a 28-27 edge in bench points. For a little more than the first 16 minutes of the contest, the game was quite close. FDU actually jumped out to a 12-5 lead over the initial 3:51. There were a total of 8 lead changes and 3 ties before Princeton took control of the game for good. The Tigers went on a 43-21 surge over the next 16:09 including a 13-1 tear over the last 3:56 of the half for a 48-33 lead. Highlighting the run was a three pointer from the top of the key by Devin Cannady, a trey from the right side by Steven Cook off a great crosscourt pass by Weisz, and a couple layups by Bell.
Princeton, which rolled past Lafayette of the Patriot League on Thanksgiving Eve (104-52), continued to roll in the second half as the Tigers outscored FDU by a margin of 43-28, and led by as many as 33 points with four minutes remaining. With the win, Princeton improved to 4-0 for the first time since the 1997-98 season. The Tigers have averaged 97.5 points per game over their last two games. FDU dropped to 2-5 on the season with the loss.
GMC NOTES: Through the first four games of the season, Bell has averaged 28.8 minutes, 9.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He has played in and started in all four games for the Tigers. Bell leads the team in steals, and ranks second in assists, fourth in scoring, and sixth in rebounding. Meanwhile, Townes has played well early on in his sophomore campaign for FDU. He has played and started in all 7 of FDU’s games and is averaging 26.9 minutes, 9.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. Townes ranks fourth in the team in scoring, fourth in rebounding, and second in assists and steals.