Princeton M. Hoops back on track with second straight win

The Daily Princetonian PRINCETON, N.J. (U-WIRE) -- After one step backwards, the Princeton men's basketball team has taken two steps forward. Princeton (2-1) defeated an outmanned Monmouth team, 63-36, Saturday night in West Long Branch, N.J. Led by senior forward Gabe Lewullis' 15 points and 13 from sophomore guard C.J. Chapman, the preseason Ivy favorite Tigers (2-1) poked their heads above .500. The Hawks (0-4) remained winless in the young campaign. The early season has not been easy for head coach Bill Carmody's team either. Following the Tigers' surprisingly large 63-47 opening-night loss to an up-and-coming Lafayette team Nov. 18, Princeton edged UNC-Wilmington, 61-54, in overtime after junior forward Nate Walton tipped in a three-point attempt by Lewullis. The Tigers proved they could win a game, and in clutch fashion. Things were looking up. Enter Monmouth, a team that Princeton beats up on traditionally. The game would be an opportunity for the Tigers to coalesce, unify and improve. "All we knew coming in was that they were a young team," Chapman said. In one giant stride, Princeton seized that opportunity and wrung it dry. On the strength of 41 second-half points, the Tigers demonstrated the continuing improvement of the young team. Every basket Princeton made on the evening came courtesy of an assist -- the ideal for the Tigers' disciplined offense. In contrast, during much of the Lafayette game, Lewullis and senior guard Brian Earl had to point and shout directions to their often wrongly positioned teammates. "We all played better [in the second half]," Chapman said. "We started to play team defense, started to rebound and made the open shots. There weren't as many open shots in the first half, but they just opened up in the second." Since there weren't as many open shots in the first half, there also weren't as many points for Princeton. The score at halftime was 22-21 in favor of the Tigers, but they could not seem to put their host away. The first half was marked by a number of Princeton runs, but the result of each was the same. The Hawks managed to slip right back into the thick of the contest, a mark of inexperience for the predominantly young Tigers. But in the second half Saturday, the 1998-'99 Tigers had their first taste of what it's like to establish and play with a significant lead. Lewullis sank a three pointer and freshman center Chris Young added a layup early in the second half to increase the lead to 29-24. The rout was on. As the second-half margin grew, it was not just Lewullis and Earl managing it this time. Chapman exploded for 13 points, a career high, after tallying just five points in the first two games. "The team and the coaches are looking for me to score more and take some of the burden off Gabe and Brian,"Chapman said. The sophomore also drained 3-of-6 from beyond the three-point arc, helping the team to its 12-of-27 performance (.444) from long distance. Nor was Princeton's team-wide offensive showing limited to the three-pointer. Nine different Tigers scored for Carmody. Earl totalled 12 points and five assists while junior swingman Phil Belin added eight points. "Everyone played well," Chapman said. But offense was only part of the story. After limiting the Hawks to just 21 points in the first half, Princeton allowed a laughable 15 in the second stanza, finally forcing those Tiger runs to stand up. While Alpha Bangura poured in 15 points for Monmouth, the rest of the team was just 7-of-27 on the night. Even with Bangura, the Hawks only managed to make a third of their 39 attempts. Additionally, the highly touted inside pair, Young and freshman forward Chris Krug, added two blocks each. Krug, Young and the rest of the Tigers return to action Friday in the Iowa State Cyclone Challenge in Ames, Iowa. Princeton will take on Western Illinois and either Iowa State or North Texas.