Postgame audio - Coach Sydney Johnson, Douglas Davis, Kareem Maddox & Dan Mavraides:
As I stood on the floor in disbelief, unable to properly take in what had transpired, I found myself drifting next to Roger Gordon '73 - the unofficial Princeton assistant coach who has sat on the bench - or perhaps more properly stood next to it - at different times over the years alongside Pete Carril, Bill Carmody, John Thompson III, Joe Scott and now Sydney Johnson.
Gordon has been a constant through decades of change, always on the periphery of the frame.
"This is for all of Pete's shots that didn't go in," he said quietly watching the 2010-11 Ivy League champions start to cut down the nets at Payne Whitney Gym.
His team trailing by one with :02.8 on the clock and senior tri-captain Dan Mavraides inbounding under the Tiger basket, Douglas Davis was able to take the ball in the left corner, dribble twice to his right, use a pump fake to create a sliver of space underneath Harvard's Oliver McNally and lean in for a true jumper as time expired to send Princeton to their first NCAA Tournament since 2004.
This one did go in.
"I got a good screen from Will Barrett," a still-stunned Davis said. "Originally I thought they were going to deny me the ball but I was able to get open. I took a couple dribbles and was able to fade. It felt good, went in and I fell on the ground."
"That was the worst decision I ever made because everybody just jumped on me."
The first half of a one game playoff to determine the Ivy League's automatic tournament bid started slowly. The energy level of the players, coaches and 2,652 in the gym needed time to dissipate down to normal levels. An Ian Hummer feed to Mavraides stopping and reversing inside 1:39 in helped calm both teams down.
Kyle Casey spinning into the lane evened the score.
Tied at six after two Davis free throws, Harvard scored five straight as McNally connected out of the far corner for an 11-6 count.
Davis utilized a Maddox screen and popped a long jumper. Brandyn Curry to Wright back to Curry inside came to easy.
Princeton answered with seven straight as Mavraides began to heat up. First Maddox hung in the air and drew Casey's first personal for a three point play.
Mavraides ripped the ball lose from Laurent Rivard on the far sideline and went coast to coast to the iron. Maddox inside to Mavraides up top was silken and Harvard called a time out trailing 16-13.
McNally's spinning drive just beat the expiring shot clock and at the other end of the gym Brendan Connolly rebounded a miss from Jimmy Sherburne - two players not expected to see much action in this playoff - and scored.
It was 20-20 when Hummer's quick layup was offset by Christian Webster scoring a short jumper as Hummer needlessly fouled him from behind. It was the start of seven consecutive for the Crimson, who began to take control of the game.
Princeton played solid defense but a rebounding Maddox threw an outlet pass into Patrick Saunders' side and Webster picked the ball off the floor. This extra possession ended with Maddox helping on defense to goaltend a Wright shot over Hummer.
Hummer's take at Casey came up short and in a sensational find Curry pressured by Maddox in the far corner tossed up a lob in front of the basket for an approaching Casey to dunk with two hands.
Casey picked up his second personal pushing Maddox on a loose ball, then Mavraides did the same bumping Rivard on a baseline drive. The 87.5% free throw shooter missed the front end of his one-and-one.
With Mavraides out for the rest of the half Princeton's offense really struggled. Sure Connolly was able to score after taking a pass off a stutter drive from Ben Hazel and convert a three point play to draw the Tigers within 25-23 but the flow was out of sorts.
Wright scored to his left over Connolly to send Princeton down six at the 3:41 mark.
A drive by Curry to Rivard made it 32-25 as the Tigers did not score the final 3:20 of the half. A Hazel three point shot popped off the rim at the end of the stanza.
Princeton shot 9-27 from the floor in the opening frame (33.3%), 1-5 from three (20.0%) and 6-6 on free throws (100.0%). Mavraides and Connolly each had seven.
Harvard was 13-25 (52.0%) overall, 2-5 outside (40.0%) and 4-6 at the line (66.7%).
Maddox missed at Casey inside to start the vesper and Webster went to his left as Maddox could not help in time for a game-high nine point Harvard lead.
Will Barrett, who committed three personals in the first half, was on the floor as play resumed and knocked down a triple from the top of the arc - his fifth trey of the season.
Curry drew the defense and Wright dunked the ball home. Maddox circled by Wright for a layup response, then a lob to Wright over Saunders got two back for Harvard. Davis' three at the top dropped short of the rim onto the baseline and Webster caught Barrett napping for a layup and foul.
It was now 40-32 Crimson. Webster missed his free throw.
Maddox somehow scored over Casey's contact off the glass for a three point play.
Next Maddox blocked Wright point blank and Hummer going the other way sidestepped McNally and was fouled. Out of the under-16:00 media time out Hummer made one of two at the line. Curry's three on the left side did not make contact with the iron and while a driving Mack Darrow's layup after a Mavraides feed rolled off the rim, Hummer was there to tip the ball home.
Penetration by Curry set up McNally on the left for a big three.
Hummer and Wright traded baskets in close, then Mavraides exploded to his left for a layup.
Davis' tying try on the left side went long and when McNally drove and acrobatically scored as Saunders fouled him it was a 48-42 Harvard advantage.
The margin remained the same with 9:06 to go following two McNally free throws.
Hummer skipped a pass to Mavraides open on the opposite side with time to set his feet but the clean look did not drop. McNally went at Connolly, who held his ground.
A posting Maddox found Connolly reversing for a pair.
Casey tried to lob the ball in to Wright but Connolly grabbed it out of the air. Maddox the other way saw his close try pop out but Maddox controlled the offensive board as Wright committed his fourth foul of the half and promptly headed to the bench.
Davis used a Maddox screen and stepped behind to can a jumper. Curry could not finish and it was time for Davis to step to his left and connect on a three that gave the Tigers' their first lead since the 8:26 mark of the first half.
Princeton had rallied from what had been a nine point deficit, this 7-0 run capped off by Davis' triple on the right wing following a pass out of the post by Kareem Maddox.
It remained a one possession game for the entirety of the final five minutes.
Casey, who Princeton was able to defend far better than they had the previous Saturday in Cambridge, went behind his back to his left at T.J. Bray and was fouled, making one of two free throws to tie the game.
The second best free throw shooting team in the land was a surprising 10-16 overall.
Mavraides' left baseline jumper sailed over the rim to Hummer, who went back up and was fouled by Casey, the sophomore's fourth personal. Hummer made both his tries to send Princeton back up two.
Wright, the Ivy League Player of the Year, returned to the floor after sitting from the 7:01 mark saddled with four fouls of his own. He was bumped by Maddox and also split a pair.
Mavraides raced to his left and banked in a short runner in the paint. Princeton had gone up 55-52.
Curry responded with an icy triple on the left wing to tie the game an eighth time.
Davis was unable to answer with a jumper of his own, but Barrett grabbed the offensive board on the baseline and found Davis again in the right corner for a three that missed the mark.
Harvard came down and Wright tipped in a McNally miss at the rim.
Back went the Tigers. Maddox somehow converted an acrobatic, athletic, unorthodox left-handed scooping drive for a 57-57 count.
Davis was whistled on Curry's leaning drive and the 73.1% free throw shooter came up long on his first try, pure on his second.
McNally fouled Davis on a spin into the lane at the 2:23 mark and Davis never touched the rim on either side of his one-and-one. 59-58 Tigers.
With the shot clock at four and Wright making his move in the paint, Mavraides came over for a swipe that Wright did not see coming. The ball deflected to Hummer and Princeton was up one with the ball nearing the conclusion of the second half.
Davis in the lane came up short and Webster rebounded.
Casey finished with but seven points, his last two coming on a soaring drive to his left off the glass with just over a minute showing. Hummer answered to his left off the glass all the way around Wright and Harvard had the ball with :38 on the game clock and under two seconds less on the shot clock.
Mavraides started on Curry, then Maddox switched over. Curry on the wing passed to Webster at the free throw line starting to drive and Curry regained possession after losing the ball for a second and flicked in a layup.
Princeton did not call time out and Davis brought the ball up with the clock counting down single digits - splitting two Harvard defenders and going right at Wright.
Wright bodied Davis to the floor with a loud thud as Casey blocked Davis' 13th shot out of bounds. Davis lay on the floor for a second and then needed a moment to gather himself before slowly standing back up as Princeton used a time out.
This set up Mavraides' assist and Davis' incredible finish to a fantastic basketball game. The decision on the inbounds was Mavraides'. His read to the corner came to Davis' left hand in a way that McNally could not swipe it. Davis did the rest, the sixth and final lead change in the concluding 2:35.
That's the last thing Mavraides remembers.
"I didn't really know what happened when the ball went in," Mavraides said of the celebration that ensured. "I think I might have blanked out and next thing I knew I was on the floor screaming."
"When it went in, it was like my life flashing before my eyes but it was my four years here - from the worst team in Princeton history all the way to the champions of the Ivy League."
Notes:
-Princeton shot 41.8% from the floor (23-55), 3-11 on three pointers (27.3%) and a critical 14-15 on free throws (93.3%). The Tigers won this game on the glass, grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to Harvard's 19 defensive rebounds and 36 total to the Crimson's 24.
-Harvard was 24-47 overall (51.1%), 4-9 on threes (44.4%) and 10-16 on free throws (62.5%). Wright finished with 16 points to lead his team in defeat.
-Kareem Maddox. 10 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.
-Brendan Connolly, who did not play a second versus Penn, had an excellent 15 minutes, giving the Tigers nine points on 3-3 shooting and providing Princeton with a different defensive look to try to slow Wright.
-57 possessions tied Harvard/Princeton with the Tigers' game versus Presbyterian for slowest pace of the season.
-For all the (inaccurate) talk in 2010-11 of Princeton's glacial offense: The Tigers took 20.3 seconds per posssesion, Harvard 23.0.
-Before the game the Ivy League honored both Princeton and Harvard as conference champions, giving each team a chance to get their photographs with the men's basketball trophy.
-Enough good things can't be said about the atmosphere today. Both crowds were excellent, both student sections were creative and at the top of their respective games. Dividing the bleachers right down the middle, European soccer style was a stellar decision. The only thing Princeton and Harvard fans could agree on was a collaborative "Yale Sucks!" chant before the game.
