Princeton loses lowest-scoring D-I game since 3-point line

PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) -- In the lowest-scoring Division I game since the introduction of the 3-point line, Monmouth, N.J., beat Princeton 41-21 Wednesday night.

Princeton tied the record for fewest points in a Division I game since the 3-point line started in 1986-87. Georgia Southern also finished with 21 in a 40-point loss to Coastal Carolina on Jan. 2, 1997.

"Obviously, we just couldn't score," Princeton coach Joe Scott said. "The zone gave us tons of problems."

The previous record for fewest combined points since 1986-87 was 67, which happened twice. SMU beat Texas-Arlington 36-31 on Dec. 16, 1989, and Wisconsin-Green Bay defeated Northern Michigan 46-21 on Nov. 22, 1996.

Princeton's previous scoring low in the era of the 3-point line was 35 points. The Tigers, a perennial Ivy League power known for their deliberate offense predicated on backdoor cuts and long possessions, had that total twice, against Wisconsin-Green Bay in 1995 and UNLV in 1991.

The Tigers (2-5) had their lowest point total since a 44-21 loss to Penn in 1935-36. They averaged 49.3 points in their first six games this season.

"The ball wasn't going in the basket," Scott said, "and we weren't attacking the basket."

Princeton went scoreless for a 14:54 stretch in the second half after going 7:14 without a point in the first half. Monmouth (2-7) never trailed after taking a 4-3 lead less than three minutes into the game.

"It wasn't surprising after awhile because in the first half when we were up on their guys I started to see in their eyes that they were nervous and some of them didn't know what to do," Monmouth's Marques Alston said of Princeton's offensive struggles.

The Tigers went 9-for-41 from the field, including 2-for-20 on 3-pointers, and turned the ball over 19 times. Patrick Ekeruo was Princeton's leading scorer with nine points.

Dejan Delic scored 11 points and Chris Kenny had 10 for Monmouth, which snapped a six-game losing streak.