Boys basketball: Daniel Sousa ‘makes a difference’ for Princeton against BV

PRINCETON – Princeton brought a new dog to the fight Tuesday night at Prouty Gym.

Bureau Valley coach Jason Marquis said the dog he brought didn’t have much fight.

The Tigers rolled to a 70-44 Three Rivers East victory over the very rival Storm team that beat them a month ago 62-56 at the Storm Cellar.

Princeton coach Jason Smith said the Tigers’ energy level was up and was the “first time we played with energy all year, honestly.”

The difference for Princeton this time around was having senior Daniel Sousa, who missed the first BV game, in uniform.

“He makes a difference. He frees up a lot of space for Noah [LaPorte] so Noah’s able to get some offensive rebounds. You saw that tonight. He just does a lot of things that doesn’t show up in the box scores that us coaches appreciate,” Smith said.

“He’s almost averaging 10 points a game very quietly. He’s averaging around six rebounds a game. He’s a good facilitator. He’s just a good teammate. He’s a constant pro. He doesn’t get too high, he doesn’t get too low. He just goes out and plays hard. If all the kids can imitate DJ’s game from a mental standpoint, we’d be a much better team.”

Sousa, who scored 10 points – all from near the basket – said he’s just doing his job.

“I just want to get in there, do my job, rebounding and all the dirty work nobody else wants to. Just want to come out and do my thing and get the [win],” he said.

LaPorte, who led four Tigers in double figures with 21 points, said Sousa is such a difference maker.

“It means a lot to have him. He’s a man on the boards and gets overlooked by many teams, which is crazy,” he said. “He can go to work down low and play strong defense. BV definitely felt his presence tonight and definitely overlooked him.”

Tyson Phillips and Jordan Reinhardt also scored 10 points each for the Tigers.

Marquis said his team played with little desire.

“Not a lot of dog in our fight,” he said. “When a dog shows up to the bowl one day, they may get fed, and they may get a win. But if your dog comes to the bowl the next day and there’s food, you get after it. We weren’t dogs today. We were duds.

“I feel disappointed I hadn’t conveyed the level of execution and effort it would take to beat a good team.”

The Storm (14-11, 1-5 TRC East) stayed close for the first quarter, with the Tigers leading 19-15, but didn’t stay close for long.

The Tigers ran away with the game in the second quarter, outscoring the Storm 20-3 to take a 39-18 halftime lead.

LaPorte had nine points in the second quarter, Sousa five and Lawson four.

Princeton, which improved to 10-11 overall and 5-2 atop the Three Rivers East, enjoyed a lead as big as 58-27 late in the third quarter on a three-point play by senior Landon Koning.

LaPorte put an exclamation point on his night with a slam dunk to start the fourth quarter and put the running clock in play for the rest of the game.

Reserves from both sides thrived from there on with Michael Ellis hitting two 3-pointers for the Tigers and Blake Erickson two for the Storm. BV junior Landon “Nacho” Smith hit another 3-pointer for the Storm, drawing an applause and smile from Princeton’s coach, his dad.

Justin Moon and Logan Philhower each scored 10 points for the Storm.

The game marked the last scheduled meeting between the Bureau County rivals as Princeton has elected to not play Bureau Valley in any sport now that the Storm are leaving the Three Rivers Conference next year. The Tigers lead the all-time series 25-19, according to BCR records.

Smith, who served as a Bureau Valley assistant and head coach before coming to Princeton, will miss the rivalry.

“It’s sad. Playing a school so close and having a lot of friendships and relationships over there and not being able to see anybody you know, it’s just sad,” Smith said.

Notes: Princeton also won the sophomore game 59-37. Jackson Mason led the Kittens with 22 points and Tyler Forristall added 16. Blake Foster had 19 points and Brandon Carrington 12 for the Storm.