ON TARGET: Princeton High boys’ basketball star Davon Black puts up a shot in a game earlier this season. Last Monday, Black scored a game-high 17 points to help eighth-seeded PHS defeat No. 9 Nottingham 52-43 in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament. The Little Tigers, now 10-10, play at top-seeded Notre Dame on February 15 in the MCT quarterfinals. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After going through a dry spell in January, Davon Black and the Princeton High boys’ basketball team finally got back to the .500 mark last week.

Producing a superior defensive effort, PHS topped crosstown rival Princeton Day School 57-48 on February 6 to post its third straight win and improve to 9-9.

A day later, though, the Little Tigers experienced a letdown as they fell 54-35 to Hightstown.

In assessing the loss, senior guard Black acknowledged that PHS came out flat for the clash against the Rams.

“We let it get too high yesterday; we didn’t come out ready to play,” said Black, who scored 11 points in the loss.

“Hightstown is a good team and they jumped right on us at the start of the game. They stayed poised and controlled for the entire game.”

The Little Tigers showed some game in the third quarter when they started the half by outscoring PDS 8-4.

“We had a nice little run but it wasn’t enough,” said Black. “It showed some good signs. Coach [head coach Jason Carter] told me to be a lot more aggressive on the offensive end so I tried to get it going.”

In Black’s view, PHS needs to demonstrate their aggressiveness on a more constant basis to be successful.

“We have to come into every game prepared; we can’t let a team jump on us that fast,” said Black. “We just have to play every game like it is our last.”

The team’s three-game winning streak, which included hard-fought victories over WW/P-N and Lawrence, reflected a jump in PHS’s intensity at both ends of the court.

“I think we are finding our stride now,” said Black. “This game was a letdown but we had three big wins coming in so we were hitting it. We have been playing good defense. Defense starts it all. When you are playing good defense, the offense flows.”

The battle-tested Black, a team captain along with classmate Matt Hoffman, has looked to jump start the Little Tigers.

“As a senior, I just try to be a leader,” said Black, who showed leadership Monday, contributing a game-high 17 points to help eighth-seeded PHS beat No. 9 Nottingham 52-43 in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament.

“I have been on the floor for three years now. I have seen a lot so my role is getting it going for everyone else. I want to dictate on the offensive end and be that defensive stopper. Whatever coach needs, that is what I am going to do.”

With PHS, now 10-10, playing in the MCT quarterfinals at top-seeded Notre Dame on February 15 and the state tournament coming up in a few weeks, Black is hoping to keep things going for as long as possible in his final weeks with the Little Tiger program.

“The focus is to have fun every single day,” said Black. “It has been so much fun here. It is hard knowing that it is coming to an end but my focus is just on the next game.”