Men's Basketball Goes Down at Princeton

Saturday, December 1

Princeton, N.J.

4:00 PM

George Washington University

1-7

Princeton

4-2

Team	1	2	F
George Washington	26	26	52
Princeton	33	40	73

12/1/2018 6:57:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

DJ Williams matched a career high with 17 points

Postgame Interview - Maurice Joseph

PRINCETON, N.J. -- A Saturday late matinee put the George Washington men's basketball team in Princeton, N.J., to face the Tigers of the Ivy league. The traditional conference powerhouse always poses a tough task, but it was made that much harder for the Colonials in the absence of two Opening Night starters. Junior point point Armel Potter remained sidelined for the second straight game while classmate Arnaldo Toro joined him on the sidelines for this one also due to injury.

First year Shandon Brown and junior Justin Williams drew their first career starts, and minus his fellow starters and capable scorers, Illinois-transfer DJ Williams took it upon himself to pick up some of the scoring slack. He gave GW its first lead of the game with an early three-pointer en route to 13 points in the opening half, just four shy of his career-high set earlier this season at Virginia. The Colonials entered intermission within shouting distance of the Tigers in their home gym, trailing 33-26 on the road.

Princeton extended its lead to double digits early in the second, but after a three-point play by Terry Nolan Jr. capped a 7-0 GW run to close within 48-45 in a spirited comeback effort, the iron proved unkind after the Buff and Blue pulled within a single possession. Princeton embarked on a 13-0 run to extend to a 61-45 advantage, in similar fashion to Vermont's run against the Colonials on Wednesday night when a 48-48 tie turned into a 64-48 Catamounts' edge in a blink. The Tigers ultimately closed on a 25-7 spurt.

DJ Williams did match his career-high in the outing with 17, while Nolan Jr. joined him in double figures with 11, playing 33 minutes off the bench as GW's sixth man, second only to Williams' 37 minutes played for the undermanned and outgunned Colonials. Sophomore guard Maceo Jack did his best to make up for some of the rebounding lost in Toro's absence (9.3 rpg), as he ripped down a team- and career-high seven rebounds, while fellow soph Justin Mazzulla contributed a game-high four assists as he continues to steer the offense without Potter.

Myles Stephens led the Tigers with game-highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds, while Devin Cannady dropped in 16 after entering play averaging 23.3 ppg on the season on the strength of a .583 shooting percentage from three-point range. The senior was 3-of-7 from deep against the Colonials. The Tigers have now won three straight after back-to-back road wins at Monmouth and at Maine.

GW will now return home for three straight, beginning Wednesday night against Towson at 7pm. Valparaiso (Dec. 8th at 4pm) and Howard (Dec. 14th at 7pm) will also visit DC before the Colonials hit the road again for Ivy League competition at Harvard on Dec. 22nd.