Princeton pulls away late

By Tom Groeschen • tgroeschen@enquirer.com • March 27, 2009


Princeton's Jordan Sibert puts down a dunk to give the Vikings the lead in the third quarter.

COLUMBUS – The lob pass went high to Princeton junior Jordan Sibert, who rose up and slammed the basketball through the net.

Sibert’s skyscraping dunk, off a pass from Marcus Davis with 6:55 left in the game, sent Princeton fans leaping from their seats. The goal gave Princeton a 38-32 lead and decisive momentum, en route to a 55-41 win over Toledo St. John’s in the Division I boys’ state semifinals Friday night at Value City Arena.

Sibert, who has given Ohio State an oral commitment, wore socks displaying the Buckeyes logo. Playing on his future college home floor, Sibert admittedly was not putting on much of a show before the big slam.

“We just felt we could make a run,” said Sibert. “We knew we had it in us because we’ve done it before.”

Sibert finished with 15 points, after scoring only four through most of the game’s first three quarters.

Princeton (25-1), ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press state poll, will play No. 1-ranked Columbus Northland (26-1) for the state title tonight at 8:30 p.m. at Value City Arena.

Princeton led only 34-32 after three quarters and struggled much of the night, then caught fire offensively.

“Things don’t always go your way, but these guys have great poise and character,” Princeton coach Josh Andrews said. “We’ve had several games like this where we’ve had to grind it out, and that’s why we’re where we are now.”

Senior forward Marquis Horne led Princeton with 18 points, followed by Sibert with 15 points and senior guard Orlando Williams with 10 points.

Attendance was 12,154.

Horne said the Vikings were impressed with the athleticism of unranked St. John’s, which played tight defense most of the night.

“We woke up and started attacking the rim,” Horne said. “We stayed with it.”

St. John’s coach Ed Heintschel said Princeton impressed him with its quickness.

“Princeton had the quickest hands of any team we’ve seen this year, and that really was the ballgame,” Heintschel said. “We had too many turnovers that resulted in scores.”

St. John’s had 24 turnovers, Princeton 10. Princeton also was credited with nine steals.

Princeton made its first state tournament appearance since 1972, when the Vikings were runner-up in the Class AAA (large schools) division.

Princeton led 25-22 after a tightly contested first half.

After a sleepy, slow-paced third quarter that saw the Vikings emerge with a 34-32 lead, Princeton broke it open early in the fourth.

“We wanted to keep attacking them,” Andrews said. “Getting some buckets down under the glass kind of spurred us, and we took it from there.”

With several steals, run-outs and a big Sibert dunk along the way, and Princeton posted a 13-0 scoring binge to bridge the third and fourth quarters.

The run sent Princeton to a 42-32 lead with 6:18 left in the game.

“They got a feel for it, got the crowd into it with the dunks and everything,” Heintschel said. “When you’re turning it over for scores and they’ve got a lot of weapons...that was the game.”


Princeton's Jordan Sibert (33) blocks a shot by Toledo St John's Michael Taylor (4) in the second half.

Andrews spoke afterward about the Vikings playing for former coach Bill Brewer and his family.

Brewer died unexpectedly of a heart attack at age 42 just before the 2007-08 season, and Brewer’s wife and three daughters were in the stands Friday.

“It’s a dream come true,” Andrews said. “These young men are special, and to have the Brewer family with us, it’s a storybook ending and it’s awesome to be part of. We just hope we can do it one more time.”

Saturday night’s finals will be televised live on Time Warner Cable digital channel 99.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090...5/1062/SPT

Vikings fall just short

By Tom Groeschen • tgroeschen@enquirer.com • March 28, 2009

COLUMBUS – Princeton rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit but lost 60-58 to Columbus Northland in the Division I boys’ state basketball finals here Saturday night.

Northland’s Jared Sullinger, the 2009 Ohio Mr. Basketball, made two of three foul shots with 2.7 seconds left to decide it. Sullinger was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-point attempt, setting up the decisive foul shots.

Princeton rebounded when Sullinger missed his third and final attempt, but a desperation 70-foot heave by Orlando Williams was well short at the final buzzer.

Princeton trailed 40-30 after three quarters, rallied to tie it at 58-all, then fell short.

Senior guard Williams had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Princeton. Junior guard Jordan Sibert led Princeton with 21 points.

Northland (27-1) was No. 1 and Princeton (25-2) was No. 2 in the final Associated Press state poll of the regular season.

Attendance was 12,104.

Nationally, Princeton is No. 15 and Northland is No. 16 in the USA Today Super 25 poll.

Sullinger, the 6-9 Northland junior, had 15 points and 12 rebounds.

JD Weatherspoon, a 6-6 junior who has committed to Xavier, had 18 points for Northland. All 18 came after halftime.

Princeton was seeking the school’s first boys’ state basketball championship. The Vikings were runner-up in 1972 in the Class AAA (large schools) division.

Princeton was hoping to join St. Xavier (2000), Moeller (2003 and ’07) and Hamilton (2004) as Cincinnati-area Division I state champions this decade.

Princeton trailed 9-8 after one quarter. Vikings big man Marquis Horne (6-7), who was guarding Sullinger, drew two quick fouls and had to sit just 3:49 into the game.
Weatherspoon also drew two quick fouls and had to come out a few minutes into the first period.

Northland took a 21-15 lead to halftime, matching its biggest lead of the half.
Princeton’s only first-half lead was at 1-0 on a foul shot by Williams in the opening minute.

Neither team shot it well in the first half, Princeton hitting only 31 percent and Northland 40 percent from the floor.

Princeton tried putting men in front and back of Sullinger when possible, as the big man (6-9, 255) was a load to handle.

The lead changed hands seven times in the first half, but Northland generally led most of the way.

Northland hiked its lead to 40-30 after three quarters. Princeton big men Horne and Stefon Johnson each drew his fourth foul in the third period, a blow to Princeton’s inside defense against Sullinger.

Princeton fans, with their team down 44-35 with just over six minutes left, started chanting, “It’s for Brewer,” in memory of late former coach Bill Brewer.

Brewer died of a heart attack just before the 2007-08 season, replaced by Josh Andrews.

After the chant began, Princeton went on a flurry that cut its deficit to 50-46 with 3:51 left in the game.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090...2/1062/SPT