Box Score

Princeton, NJ ... The College of New Jersey men's basketball team put forth a valiant effort in a 79-68 loss to Princeton University in Jadwin Gym on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Lions (6-8, 1-3 NJAC) came out strong, holding a 20-16 lead midway through the first half, but the Tigers (9-7, 0-0 Ivy) capitalized on their size advantage to pull away for their ninth victory of the season.
 
Sophomore Skyelar Ettin (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) led TCNJ with 15 points, netting all three shot attempts in the opening half from behind the arc. Senior Kyle Rawson (Warren, NJ/Watchung Hills) also hit double-digits with 14 points and sophomore Daniel Balevski (West Windsor, NJ/West Windsor-Plainsboro South) contributed seven points in the game.
 
Head coach Kelly Williams had to be satisfied with how his offense performed against the Princeton defense. Only Florida A&M scored more points in regulation off the Tigers this season in 16 games. While the rebounding numbers were heavily in favor of the host (46-20), the Lions turned the ball over just five times all game compared to 13 by Princeton.
 
An early run in the second half by Princeton was too much to overcome for TCNJ. The Tigers scored 21 points in the paint, led by Brendan Connolly who dropped in a game-high 16 points and 9 rebounds. Three additional Princeton players reached double figures as Ian Hummer finished with 15 points, Douglas Davis netted 11 points, and Patrick Saunders dropped in 10 points.  Denton Koon had a workman-like seven points and seven boards.
 
The Lions displayed character in the final minutes of the game. Down 73-51, TCNJ outscored Princeton 17-6 over 4:35 to end the game. Seven different players contributed points to making the final outcome a respectable one for the Division III visitors.
 
Freshman Ryan Keegan (Farmingdale, NJ/Howell) and freshman Drew Grapstul (Bayonne, NJ/Hudson Catholic) each notched buckets during that run. Keegan finished with seven points and Grapstul had a season-best five points.
 
It was a tough stretch for the Lions as they competed in two sets of back-to-back games. They squared off against FDU-Florham and Richard Stockton College on Tuesday and Wednesday before taking on Rutgers-Newark and Princeton University over the weekend.
 
The Lions have a couple days to rest up before jumping back into New Jersey Athletic Conference action. They will visit Kean University on Wednesday, January 11 for an 8 p.m. start. The Cougars have struggled this season with a record of 2-12 and enter Wednesday's contest with nine consecutive losses.