SWEEP AWAY: Bobby Davison of Ivy Inn dribbles upcourt against Alex Fox of Sneakers Plus last week in the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League championship series. Former Princeton High and College of New Jersey standout Davison provided strong defense and leadership as Ivy Inn posted a 2-0 sweep over Sneakers Plus to win its fourth summer league title in the last six years. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Bobby Davison scored only two points but that was right in line with the game plan as Ivy Inn played Sneakers Plus last Wednesday in Game 2 of the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League championship series.

“All season, it was defense, defense, defense,” said Davison, a bruising forward and founding manager of Ivy Inn.

“Everything starts on the defensive end and our offense will eventually come as we get into the game. We started slow throughout the year. We held the teams that we played to the least points. Defense was our focal point the entire year.  That was our biggest thing. We wanted to shut down Skye [Ettin]; we knew that after Game 1 that he was their go-to guy and if we could limit his opportunities, we were going to have a shot.”

Davison, along with Mark Aziz, Buddy Thomas and Dave Boudwin, controlled the paint as Ivy Inn stifled Sneakers Plus 41-34 to sweep the best-of-three series 2-0.

The former Princeton High and College of New Jersey standout was thrilled to get another shot at the title in the wake of Ivy Inn’s loss to Winberie’s in the 2012 championship series.

“It gave me a lot of motivation because I didn’t have an opportunity to play in the finals last year because I had work,” said Davison, an officer with the East Windsor police department.

“Getting our opportunity to come back this year, I was highly motivated to win.”

Experience helped Ivy Inn seize opportunity as it won its fourth summer league crown in the last six years.

“It wasn’t too long ago that I was a freshman at TCNJ; I brought these guys together,” recalled Davison, a 2006 TCNJ alum who ended his Lions career with 666 rebounds, fifth-best in program history.

“We have been able to keep for the most part a nucleus. We would make it to the finals or we would win the regular season and then lose in the playoffs because we just didn’t have the experience. Now, we have all veterans on the team. We know what we can do and what we can’t do. It shows.”

Ivy Inn is showing the way for Sneakers Plus, which is comprised of current TCNJ players and is led by Ettin, a former PHS star like Davison.

“There is no team that I would rather see in the finals; I am happy for these guys,” said Davison.

“As we were playing, going up and down we were talking to each other and giving pointers here and there. Don’t fight among yourselves, stay together.  There is no other team that we are going to reach across the table like that. We love seeing them here. We will be there in the wintertime to root them on and support them.”

The Sneakers Plus group, though, has a long way to go before they become boys of summer like their Ivy Inn brethren.

“If you look at the average age of the league, we are one of the oldest teams and we only have one guy over 30,” said Davison.

“A lot of people year in, year out, count us out and think we are not going to come back and get another one. We were able to turn back the clocks and grab another one this year. You never know. It is a testament to the guys. I think we collectively have a good group of guys. Everybody contributes.”