Mike McCourt | Writing Scots

Senior Sam Johnson collected twenty-seven rebounds in the Gordon win

Sam Johnson and Tyler Johnson

(Wenham MA) This was one of those, “Remember the game……,” games.

Senior Sam Johnson had a memorable Saturday afternoon as Gordon defeated Western New England, 74-59.

Sam already had double/double by halftime and ended up with a career-high twenty-seven rebounds to go with sixteen points.

The Scots (10-7) were hot early (13-2), squandered most of it (42-40 five minutes into second half), and then reheated in the final ten minutes to carry the day.

Western New England (3-13) shot poorly (33%) and was buried (45-29) on the boards.

Plenty of negatives for the Bears but one giant positive was their pressure defense. They turned GC over TWENTY-SEVEN times. Last time the Scots had a number like that was in February of 2013 against ENC.

Jaren Yang leads a break

Trying to dribble through double-teams and passes to who-knows-where made the performance look like something you’d see in early November. GC can absolutely expect full pressure in next week’s games (ENC on Wednesday, Nichols on Saturday) and must be better than they were today to face it.

It’s pretty bad when the team wins and I’m crying about style points! The good news? The Scots are in the hunt in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, one back from Endicott and Roger Williams with three losses.

Streaking Wentworth gave Nichols their 3^rd loss this afternoon. I am not sure what concerns me more; facing Wentworth in a game that matters or those twenty-seven turnovers this afternoon.

Jake Haar was part of the GC hot start with three 3’s in the first half.

Noah dials long distance

Noah was also on target from beyond the arc (or was it ark?) with three of them which is a season high. A couple of Noah’s triples in the second half of the second half excited the Bennett Center partisans as the Scots rode his accuracy to double-digit leads.

The Bears were severely beaten up on Efficiency. The combination of poor shooting and few rebounds did in the team from Springfield (MA). None of the Bears even reached ten in Efficiency.

Efficiency

Sam Johnson 35

Garrisson Duvivier 13 (5 steals, 5 assists)

Noah Szilagyi 12 (15 points)

Jake Haar 10 (12 points)

Gordon 87

Western New England 44

Sam Johnson scored sixteen points.

WN has a win over Endicott and only lost to ENC by three. The Scots escaped a close game as well because the Bears’ shooting (1-for-10 on 3’s in the second half) was off.

Three more home games left. I have not been overwhelmed by the student turnout yet.

Freshman Mike McCourt was the Bears top scorer. I was impressed with his Rajon Rondo fake pass driving the lane.

Sam’s record-setting performance wasn’t really a surprise. Why? He plays the same way every game…all-out. He wants every rebound and unless teams find ways to prevent him, he’ll get more rebounds than anyone else. Against Western New England, last in the CCC in rebounding, you went in liking his chances of having a big game on the boards.

Box from the game

(All of the pictures above and below will enlarge considerably if you click on them.)