The Princeton Tigers kept reeling and reeling in the El Paso-Gridley Titans on Tuesday night at Prouty Gym, but couldn’t catch them.

The Tigers fell behind by seven in the first quarter and pulled within three.

They fell behind by 13 in the second quarter and closed to seven points.

The Tigers cut an 18-point deficit to six late in the third quarter and trimmed a 17-point EPG lead early in the fourth quarter to eight, but got no closer, falling 75-59.

“We couldn’t get enough stops together,” Tiger coach Jason Smith said. “The lid was on the basket like the whole fourth quarter for us. Couldn’t make anything. Normally those shots go in, too.

“The kids felt like they should have won that game. As coaches we know how frustrating it us because we see the same things they’re seeing.”

The game is believed to be the first meeting between the two schools located 71 miles apart.

Just when it appeared the Titans would run away with it for good, scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter to go up 65-48, the Tigers made one last run.

Freshman Julian Mucha hit a 3-pointer, Jack Oester scored off a steal and Ryan Jagers hooped before Gavin Lanham dropped in a finger roll to cap a 9-0 Tiger run to make it a 65-57 game.

Elijah Webster scored in the post for EPG and after a Jackson Mason hoop, the Titans scored the final six points of the game.

Lanham said the Tigers’ downfall was on the boards.

“I think it was mostly the rebounds. If we got those rebounds, I think it was our game for sure,” he said. “Just need to box out better. They got length on us. We just needed to box out.

“I think we share the ball very well and get our open shots. I like how we’re looking. We’ve just got to get our rebounds.”

Lanham hit back-to-back 3s late in the second quarter to draw the Tigers within seven only to have the Titans cash in an Owen Bergquist bucket to go up 36-25 at the half.

The Titans opened up 48-30 lead midway through the third quarter on a runout by Jack Hempstead.

Treys by Lanham, Mason and Mucha made it a nine-point game at 53-44 with 2:05 left in the third. Two free throws each by Oester and Mucha drew the Tigers within 54-48.

Bergquist hit a 3 and Hempstead scored on the break with two seconds left to push the Titans’ lead back to 10 points at quarter’s end.

“I was very pleased how our effort was. They’re getting after it,” Smith said. “We just had some mental lapses we’ve got get to get over. Can’t have those. We’re not a good enough team to withstand that and we got to execute everything mentally for all four quarters. Right now we’re not doing that. We have a little time to figure that out, but not much more.”

The Tigers (4-20) had four scorers in double figures with Oester at 13, Mason at 12 and Lanham and Mucha with 11 each.

The Titans (14-10) packed a 1-2 punch with its big man, Webster, scoring 20 points and Braden Hayes with 19, making good on four 3-pointers. Hempstead added 13.

EPG also won the JV prelim 46-41. Deacon Gutshall led the Kittens with 16 points and Bryce Cochran added 14.

Princeton will return home to play league leader Mendota (21-5) in Three Rivers East play on Friday.