Wolf, Garnet Torch Nets In Win Over PBU
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Garnet sophomore forward Steve Wolf dropped in a career-high 32 points and the Swarthmore men sank a season-high 11 three-pointers, rolling over Philadelphia Bible 94-71 in Tarble Pavilion on Thursday evening.
The victory snaps a 12-game winless streak for the Garnet (1-10). The 94 points is the most scored by a Swarthmore team in regulation since 1996; the Garnet defeated Johnson & Wales (RI) 102-74 on Dec. 7, 1996. Swarthmore used two overtimes on Jan. 7, 2004 to tally 97 points in a loss to Washington (Md.).
The Garnet came out firing in the first half, shooting 53% from the field to build a 48-31 point lead at the break. The Swarthmore men took advantage off every offensive opportunity, turning 11 Eagles' turnovers into 19 fast-break points.
Swarthmore was also six of eleven (55%) from behind the arc in the first half, led by two apiece from Wolf and Kurman.
Wolf led the charge with 18 first-half points, shooting a perfect seven for seven from the floor, while adding four steals and two assists. McCormick chipped in nine points and a team-leading six boards as the Garnet held a 20-15 edge on the glass.
Chase Byler led the Crimson Eagles with 14 points on six of nine shooting in the first half.
The 48 points is the most scored in the first stanza by Swarthmore this season.
The offensive prowess continued in the second half, as the Garnet had every answer for PBU. Swarthmore shot 48% from the floor in the final 20 minutes, including five more buckets from beyond the three-point line.
Swarthmore's big push occurred at the beginning of the second half. PBU's Dave Booher put in a lay-up to make the score 52-41 in favor of the Garnet. Swarthmore clipped off a 19-8 run over the next six minutes and change to build a 71-49 lead. Sophomore guard Matt Kurman sank two of his 16 points to end the run, and the Garnet did not allow the Crimson Eagles to get closer than 16 points the rest of the night.
Wolf's career night looked like this: 14 for 20 from the field, a team-high nine rebounds (including five offensive), a career-high four steals, and a pair of blocked shots. The 14 field goals are the most made by a Centennial player this season and the 32 points in the fourth-best performance turned in by a Centennial player.
Matt Gustafson, class of 2005, was the last Garnet player to hit for 30 points, turning the trick on Jan. 22, 2005 vs. Ursinus.
McCormick chipped in 11 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, extending his streak of double-digit games to 17. Junior forward Mark Rhode had a solid all-around performance, scoring a season-high eight points to go along with four rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and two steals. Junior guard Chris Casey added a season-high 10 points.
Efficient ball movement was key to Swarthmore's success this evening; the Garnet handed out 23 assists on 38 baskets. Casey led the way with a season-high seven dimes while Kurman dropped off four assists. 11 Swarthmore players hit the scoring column, including the first career field goal, a fast-break lay up, by junior forward Alan Walsh.
The 11 blocks by the Garnet equal their conference-leading mark set vs. Johns Hopkins on Nov. 30.
Booher led the Crimson Eagles (2-7) with 23 points, eight rebounds, and a game-high five steals while guard Chase Byler added 19 points on eight for 14 shooting. Austin McCardle chipped in 14 points while Tom Arthur added 12 points for PBU.
The Garnet resume Centennial Conference play on Saturday, Jan. 7 when they host Dickinson at 4:00 p.m. in Tarble Pavilion. All of the action can be heard over BroadcastMonsters.com, a streaming-media company founded by Sean O'Connor, a McDaniel College graduate.