By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com
GREEN BAY, Wis.
(GreenBayPhoenix.com) - No matter
what jersey he wore on Saturday evening, freshman Keifer Sykes (Chicago,
Ill.) was in complete control for the Green Bay men's basketball team. Due to a
blow that left his head gashed midway through the first half, Sykes left the
game three times and ended up putting on three different uniforms (#24, #1 and #11)
against Butler in front of a season-high crowd of 5,820 fans.
Sykes excelled in each of them, scoring 14 points and
dishing out seven assists to help Green Bay (9-12, 5-6 HL) to an 80-68 victory
over Butler (12-11, 6-5 HL) in Horizon League action at the Resch Center.
The freshman point guard was not alone as he got help
from big men Brennan Cougill (Sioux
City, Iowa) and Alec Brown (Winona, Minn.) who scored 21 and
19 points, respectively, and each added eight rebounds. Late in the second
half, Cougill scored started an 8-0 Phoenix run that turned a tied game into a
61-53 lead with 4:29 to play.
Butler refused to go away, scoring on its next four
possessions. The problem for the Bulldogs, however, was that Green Bay kept
scoring, too. In fact, the Phoenix scored on 13 consecutive possessions late in
the game, beginning Cougill's three that broke a 53-53 tie with 5:50 to play.
After a three from sophomore Kam Cerroni (Sussex,
Wis.) made it 61-53, Butler hit two free throws. Cougill then scored on a
thunderous dunk, and Butler answered with two free throws. Junior Steve Baker (St. Paul, Minn.), who had
10 points off the bench, then drilled a three before Ronald Nored answered with
one of his one. Sykes scored on a pair of free throws, but Nored then connected
on a pair to make it 68-62 with 2:17 remaining.
With the shot clock winding down on the next Green Bay
possession, Sykes drilled a tough pull-up jumper in the lane. Green Bay got a
defensive stop, and Cougill hit a pair of free throws to push the lead to 10
(72-62) with 1:33 left. The Phoenix closed the game out at the free throw line,
where it made 25-of-30 on the night.
Cougill was impressive throughout on his way to a
career-high point total. The junior scored his first basket of the night on a
three-pointer to make it 13-6 early in the first half, and went to halftime
with nine points and four rebounds. Cougill was 6-of-11 for the game, including
3-of-6 from long range and a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.
Butler used an 8-0 run to take its first lead (24-21)
with 4:12 left in the first half. It was during that run when Sykes' head was
gashed due to a collision with Jackson Aldridge. The freshman went to the
locker room for most of the rest of the half, but checked back in with 56
seconds to play.
On the next possession, Sykes put the Phoenix ahead
33-32 with a jumper with 25 seconds on the first-half clock. Sykes' team would
never let Butler reclaim the lead. The second half featured five ties, but
Butler never led in the final 20 minutes.
Brown scored his 19 points despite taking just seven
shots. The 7-foot-1 sophomore was 5-of-7 from the floor and made his first nine
free throws before finishing 9-of-10. The Phoenix as a team knocked down
25-of-30 free throws, including 14-of-18 from the line in the last five
minutes.
The 80 points scored by Green Bay were the most given
up in regulation by Butler in 55 games, dating back to an 82-70 loss against
Duke on Dec. 4, 2010.
Getting eight apiece from Cougill and Brown, the
Phoenix outrebounded Butler 35-30. Eight different Green Bay players grabbed
two or more rebounds.
Green Bay will complete its three-game homestand next Saturday, hosting
Milwaukee at 1 p.m. for the Blackout
Cancer Game. The Phoenix will wear black jerseys at home for the first time
in its history, helping to raise awareness for cancer research and generate
funds for the Bellin Health Patient Assistance Fund.
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