Both teams see benefits
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
In the end, West Windsor-Plainsboro South emerged with the win in Tuesday’s showdown with Princeton, a game that matched the top two seeds in the upcoming Mercer County Boys Basketball Tournament.
But make no mistake about it, this was a game that benefited both teams as they prepare for the upcoming tournament season.
”The schedule really worked out this year that we’re going to have some great competition heading into the county and state playoffs,” said WW-P South coach Bob Schurtz, whose team scored the final 10 points of the game to pull away for a 60-48 win over the Little Tigers. “This is a big step. I’m proud of the guys. Four years ago this was a far cry from what we’re looking at now. We didn’t want co-champs next to our name on the banner. We wanted to win it outright.”
The win gave the Pirates an 11-1 mark in the Colonial Valley Conference, locking up the CVC Colonial Division title. They also improved to 17-1 overall with the MCT looming next week.
Princeton, which fell to 13-4 with the loss, also has a schedule made for getting ready for the post-season. The Little Tigers, who have already wrapped up the CVC Patriot Division title, play Lawrence tonight and Palmyra on Saturday before opening the MCT on Tuesday at home against Allentown.
”This is perfect timing for this style of basketball,” Princeton coach Jason Carter said. “This is why you go to the summer workouts and why you lift, to be the best. To be the best you have to beat the best. We’re not running from the better teams. We want to challenge ourselves and see what happens.”
In Tuesday’s game, the Pirates would build a five- or six-point lead, only to see Princeton battle back to within one or two. South led by eight entering the fourth quarter, but Princeton scored the first six points to get back to within two. It was a 50-48 game with 2:30 left when the Pirates went on a 10-0 run to close out the game.
”They pressured the ball really hard,” said South junior Jack Dennehy, who shared team-high scoring honors with Austin Witter with 15 points. “In the beginning we were playing their tempo. Once we settled into ours we were executing and settling the ball down.”
Princeton is at its best in an up-tempo game, scoring points off its defense. The Pirates did their best to get away from that type of game.
”A lot of the credit has to go to them,” said Schurtz, whose team will host BCIT-Westhampton on Saturday. “They did a good job pressuring the ball. That’s the first team in a while that sends two or three guys at you, non-stop. We have not been accustomed to playing against that.
”I was happy with how each time they made a run at us with pressure, we were able to gather ourselves and get a controlled possession and turn it back on them and get good looks at the basket.”
Carter, whose team was led by Skye Ettin with 17 points and DeQuan Holman with 14, hopes his team gained something from the loss. With the tournaments approaching, he wants his team to be sharp.
”They’re a great team with a great coach and great players,” Carter said of the Pirates. “I was happy for my guys to go out there and compete against a club like that. This is a great experience for us going into the playoffs and into the Mercer County Tournament. Hopefully it lights a fire and we get to the finals and then play them again.
”We might have gotten a little tired playing that pace. I need to do a better job of developing the roles of our bench players to give our starters a break.”
That’s one area where the Pirates appear to be set. With a veteran team, the players know their roles and they’ve been working toward this sort of season for quite a while.
”I thought that, especially with the talent we have with Witter and all of our other seniors, we could have a real good season,” Dennehy said. “We know our roles this year. This was a good win for us, especially in their gym. Over the summer we all worked hard to get to this point. I was shooting a lot and working on my game.
”We have some tough games coming up with (BCIT-Westhampton) and then (Trenton Catholic), which is a top five team in the state.”
After Tuesday night, the Pirates feel a little more prepared. And so do the Little Tigers.