Brown Leads Lakers to Third Straight Win
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. - On the road in the Richard Baldwin Gymnasium at SUNY Broome Community College the Lakers men's basketball team came away with a significant conference win over the host Hornets Tuesday night. With several key players out for the Lakers in the matchup the team stepped up to deliver the victory on the road.
Freshman Jace Brown (Red Creek, N.Y./Red Creek) was the standout for the Lakers, pouring in a career-high 20 points on 9-for-13 from the field. Brown would pull down 8 rebounds, including 4 on the offensive glass as a true threat in the paint for the Lakers. Teammate Jaden Hartsfield (Rochester, N.Y./Greece Odyssey) played a significant role, scoring 15 points on 5-for-11 shooting. Hartsfield helped facilitate the offense with 4 assists while making his presence felt on defense with 2 steals.
Sophomore Andrew Edwards-Ferrell (Rochester, N.Y./U Prep) added 12 points, making 5 of his 7 attempts from the field. His 9 rebounds and 1 block were crucial in controlling the paint alongside teammate Jace Brown. Classmate Kyle Slywka (Waterloo, N.Y./Waterloo) had another overall performance with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists; impacting the game in multiple areas. Off the bench, sophomore Bruce Wilder Jr. (Rochester, N.Y./Fairport) provided a valuable 9 points while grabbing 5 rebounds. The sophomore guard's energy and efficiency off the bench was key to the Lakers' second-half rally that saw them close out the win against the Hornets, despite trailing by 2 at the break. The Lakers' efficiency as a team made the difference as they finished 62.3% from the field and 60% shooting from beyond the arc. Defensively, the Lakers forced 26 Hornets turnovers to provide second-chance opportunities for the Lakers' offense.
The team's next matchup will serve as a true test as they hit the road for Sanborn, N.Y. to take on the Division II Thunderwolves of Niagara County Community College. The Cross divisional matchup will tip off this Thursday, November 30th at 7:30 PM.