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Brown Wraps Up 2015-2016 Season With Empire State Swing
3/3/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Providence, R.I. - Brown wraps-up its 2015-16 season with match-ups against Empire State rivals Columbia and Cornell this weekend. The Bears travel to New York City on Friday, March 4 to battle third place Columbia at 7:00 pm, and then challenges Cornell on Saturday, March 5 in Ithaca, NY at 6:00 pm to conclude the season. Follow all the action on WPRV AM 790 and the Ivy League Digital Network.
The Bears: Brown (8-18, 3-9 Ivy) split games last week, defeating Dartmouth, 84-83, in overtime, and falling to Harvard, 61-52. Cedric Kuakumensah '16 posted double-doubles in each game with 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Big Green, and 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Crimson.
Bear Facts: Cedric Kuakumensah '16 has posted double-doubles in three of his last four games. With 19 points vs. Harvard, he moved into 17th place on Brown's all-time scoring list with 1,152 career points, moving past a trio of Brown greats - Russ Tyler, who scored 1,133 points from 1968-71, Matt Mullery, who tallied 1,134 career points from 2006-10, and Lou Murgo with 1,147 points from 1951-55…Tavon Blackmon '17 is Brown's top scorer in Ivy games with 15.0 ppg. He leads the Ivy League in assists with 5.5 per game, and is sixth in 3-point FG percentage (.444)…Freshman forward Obi Okolie scored a career high 23 points on the road vs. Penn. He has started Brown's last nine games and averaged 14.0 points per game over his last six games…Steven Spieth's '17 bid for a triple double vs. Princeton came up just short with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. He ranks third in the Ivy League in free throw percentage (.827), fifth in assists (3.5 apg) and seventh in rebounding (7.1 rpg).
Spieth Named CoSIDA Academic All-District: Bears' junior forward Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX) has been named to the College Sports Information Director's of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District First Team which recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Spieth advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected on 3/3/16.
The Brown vs. Columbia Series Record: Brown and Columbia have met 136 times, dating back to 1900-1901, with the Lions holding a 72-64 series advantage. Columbia has won the last four games, including a 77-73 decision earlier this season. Brown's last win over the Lions was a 64-56 decision on 2/1/14 in Providence.
The Brown vs. Cornell Series Record: Brown and Cornell will be meeting for the 127th time, dating back to 1949-1950, with the Big Red holding a 75-51 series advantage. Brown has won the last two games over the Big Red, most recently an 86-80 decision on 2/5/16 behind 16 points by Steven Spieth '17 and Cedric Kuakumensah '16. Cornell came away with a 57-49 decision in Ithaca, NY last year.
Spieth Fifth In Ivy Assists: Junior forward Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX) tossed in 21 points in Brown's win over Dartmouth on 6-of-7 shooting from the field, including 4-of-5 from beyond the three-point arc. His four treys against the Big Green tied his career high. Spieth is averaging 11.0 points per game, and ranks fifth in the Ivy League with 3.5 assists per game and third in the league in free throw percentage (.827). Spieth flirted with a triple-double vs. Princeton with 12 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists against the Tigers. He also had 12 points and nine rebounds vs. Penn. Spieth has played in every career game, starting 85-of-86 games for the Bears. He scored 16 points vs. Cornell, connecting on 10-of-10 free throws, while grabbing nine rebounds, and had 21 points on 8-of-10 shooting vs. Columbia. Spieth threw in a career high 24 points in Brown's first game vs. Princeton on 7-of-7 shooting from the field and 9-of-10 shooting from the free throw line. He came back with 19 points vs. Penn at home. Spieth pulled down 13 rebounds in Brown's second game against Yale after scoring nine points, grabbing six rebounds and handing out five assists against Yale in New Haven. Spieth had 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists vs. Maine, and registered his third double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds vs. Rhode Island. Spieth tossed in 16 points, handed out seven assists and grabbed eight rebounds vs. Marist. He posted a double-double vs. Georgetown with 13 points, connecting on 7-of-7 free throws, and 13 rebounds. He grabbed 13 rebounds against Bryant. He celebrated his homecoming to Dallas by scoring 14 points, grabbing six rebounds and handing out five assists vs. #25 SMU. Spieth scored 11 points and handed off five assists vs. New Hampshire. He registered a double-double vs. Holy Cross with 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field, and a career-high 14 rebounds, including 10 boards in the second half. Spieth led the Bears with 15 points, while grabbing nine rebounds vs. Niagara. He opened the season with 10 points and eight rebounds against St. Peter's. Last year, Spieth proved to be an aggressive scorer (9.9 ppg) and rebounder (4.7 rpg), who can play in the frontcourt or backcourt. Spieth netted a season-high 21 points vs. Illinois in Champaign, while grabbing seven rebounds against the Illini. He scored in double figures 17 times and ranked eighth in the Ivy League in free throw percentage (.812) last year.
Kuakumensah Leads Ivy League In Rebounding: Senior forward Cedric Kuakumensah (Worcester, MA) is a two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year (2013 and 2014) and the Ivy League's all-time leader in blocked shots (304). A rare three-year captain, Kuakumensah has played 113 career games for the Bears with 1,152 career points, 17th best in Brown basketball history. He is the first player in Ivy League basketball history to score 1,000 points (1,152), grab 800 rebounds (887) and block 200 shots (304). Brown's top scorer (13.9 ppg), Kuakumensah leads the Ivy League in rebounding with 9.5 per game. He posted consecutive double-doubles last week, with 17 points and 11 rebounds vs. Dartmouth and 19 points and 14 rebounds vs. Harvard. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds on the road vs. Penn for his 10th double-double of the season, and came back with a game high 18 points vs. Princeton. Kuakumensah scored 15 points and blocked six shots in Brown's first meeting with Dartmouth, and posted his ninth double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds vs. Cornell. Kuakumensah had 18 points and 12 rebounds vs. Yale and pulled down a season high 18 rebounds vs. Daniel Webster. Kuakumensah became the greatest shot blocker in Ivy League history when he swatted away his 253rd career blocked shot against Georgetown. Kuakumensah, who leads the Ivy League and ranks 13th nationally with 2.7 blocks per game, broke the previous mark of 252 blocks by Dartmouth's Brian Gilpin from 1993-1997. He had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds vs. Maine. Kuakumensah scored 21 points and blocked a school record seven shots vs. URI, tying his own school record for the fifth time. He posted 15 points and 12 rebounds against Bethune–Cookman, while adding four blocked shots. Kuakumensah also had 21 points and 12 rebounds vs. Marist in being named Brown's Outstanding Player at the Hall of Fame Shootout. He had tied the Ivy League record for career blocked shots with his 21-point, 16-rebound, four-block performance against Central Connecticut. Kuakumensah had 14 points and six rebounds vs. Bryant, despite being in foul trouble. He scored 10 points and grabbed 17 rebounds against St. Peter's, and came back with 14 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots vs. Holy Cross. Kuakumensah tossed in 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds vs. New Hampshire. He tossed in 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds vs. Niagara, and had 13 points and seven rebounds vs. #25 SMU. He led the Ivy League with 76 blocked shots last season and blocked an Ivy League record 93 shots in 2013-14. A second team All-Ivy selection a year ago, he ranked fifth in the league in rebounding with 7.4 per game.
Kuakumensah:
Career Points: 1,152 Career Rebounds: 887 Career Blocks: 304
Ivy League Career Blocked Shots Brown: Single Season Blocked Shots
1. 304…Cedric Kuakumensah (Brown, 2012-) 1. 93*…Cedric Kuakumensah (2013-14)
2. 252 ... Brian Gilpin (Dartmouth, 1993-97) 2. 76….Cedric Kuakumensah (2014-15)
3. 225 ... Walter Palmer (Dartmouth, 1986-90) 3. 69….Cedric Kuakumensah (2015-16)
4. 213 ... Greg Mangano (Yale, 2009-12) 4. 66….Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-13)
5. 195 ... Geoff Owens (Penn, 1997-01) 5. 59….Matt Mullery (2008-09)
* Ivy League record
Brown Career Rebounds
1. 931, by Phil Brown (1972-75)
2. 924, by Ed Tooley (1952-56)
3. 887, by Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-)
4. 878, by Arnie Berman (1969-72)
5. 870, by Gerry Alaimo (1955-58)
6. 816, by Allan Poulsen (1956-59)
7. 789, by Stark Langs (1981-85)
Brown Basketball: 1,000 Point Scorers
1. 2,041 Earl Hunt (1999-03)
2. 1,668 Arnie Berman (1969-72)
3. 1,618 Sean McGonagill (2010-14)
4. 1,597 Jason Forte (2001-05)
5. 1,361 Peter Sullivan (2007-2011)
6. 1,344 Alai Nuualiitia (1999-03)
7. 1,331 Mike Cingiser (1959-62)
8. 1,328 Marcus Thompson (1985-89)
9. 1,319 Joe Tebo (1955-58)
10. 1,306 Damon Huffman (2004-08)
11. 1,294 Rick Lloyd (1988-92)
12. 1,288 Brian Saunders (1974-77)
13. 1,241 Phil Brown (1972-75)
1,241 Peter Moss (1977-80)
15. 1,190 Chuck Savage (1988-92)
16. 1,165 Mike Waitkus (1982-86)
17. 1,152 Cedric Kuakumensah (2012-present)
18. 1,147 Lou Murgo (1951-55)
19. 1,134 Matt Mullery (2006-10)
20. 1,133 Russ Tyler (1968-1971)
21. 1,100 Mark McAndrew (2004-08)
22. 1,079 Ira James (1979-1982)
23. 1,046 Gerry Alaimo (1955-58)
24. 1,031 Eric Blackiston (1992-96)
25. 1,011 Brian Lloyd (1992-96)
26. 1,009 Woody Grimshaw (1944-47)
Brown Basketball – Single Game Blocked Shots
1. 7, Andrew McCarthy vs. Dartmouth (1/27/12)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Penn (2/16/13)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Cornell (3/1/13)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Cornell (2/22/14)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Dartmouth (3/7/14)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Rhode Island (12/30/15)
7, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Princeton (1/29/16)
8. 6, Chris White vs. Holy Cross (12/10/96)
6, Matt Mullery vs. Yale (1/23/09)
6, Matt Mullery vs. St. Francis (11/13/09)
6, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Binghamton (11/10/13)
6, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Columbia (2/21/14)
6, Cedric Kuakumensah vs. UMass Lowell (1/5/15)
6, by Cedric Kuakumensah vs. Dartmouth (1/13/16)
Daugherty Contributes: Freshman Corey Daugherty (Barrington, RI), who missed five games for the Bears due to injury, returned to the lineup for his first Ivy game and scored 11 points at home vs. Yale. Daugherty tossed in nine points at home against Penn, and had four points and four rebounds at Dartmouth. He established himself as a viable scoring and ball-handling option, and is averaging 17.4 minutes per game and 5.4 points per game. He tossed in 10 points, grabbed four rebounds and had four assists vs. Central Connecticut. Daugherty, who had nine points vs. New Hampshire, scored a season high 13 points vs. Holy Cross on 6-of-11 shooting from the field. He tossed in nine points vs. #25 SMU, connecting on 3-of-6 treys. Daugherty scored eight points and had three steals in his collegiate debut against St. Peter's.
Okolie Nets Career Best 23 Points vs. Penn: Bears' freshman forward Obi Okolie (Ajax, Ontario), who missed Brown's first nine games following a high school injury, has started nine straight games for the Bears. Okolie scored a career high 23 points at Penn on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, and came back with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting at Princeton. Last week, Okolie scored 16 points vs. Dartmouth, hitting 9-of-9 free throws. He scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds at Harvard, and came back with 16 points at Dartmouth on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Okolie saw his first significant action of the season in Brown's 11th game vs. Bethune-Cookman and responded with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. Okolie is Brown's top freshman scorer with 9.4 points per game. He scored eight points vs. Columbia with 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the three point arc, while grabbing six rebounds. Okolie played 27 minutes in Brown's first meeting vs. Yale, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting from the field. He then scored seven points and had four rebounds vs. Yale in Providence. He came off the bench to register 17 points (7-of-12 shooting) and six rebounds against Maine.
Blackmon – Ivy League's Assist Leader/ Iron Man: Junior point guard Tavon Blackmon (Upper Marlboro, MD), Brown's floor leader, is the Bears' second leading scorer (13.3 ppg), and leads the Ivy League with 5.5 assists per game. He is also the Ivy League's Iron Man, leading the league with 34.4 minutes played per game. Blackmon, whose 356 career assists are seventh all-time at Brown, ranks sixth in the Ivy League in 3-point FG percentage (.444). Last week, Blackmon scored 19 points and handed out seven assists vs. Dartmouth, and came back with 17 points vs. Harvard. He scored 19 points and handed out six assists at Harvard and came back with 22 points on 8-of-14 shooting at Dartmouth. Blackmon scored 14 points vs. Cornell and Columbia, and handed out eight assists vs. the Lions. He scored 23 points and handed out a career high 10 assists vs. Penn, while connecting on 4-of-4 treys. Blackmon opened the Ivy season with 17 points vs. Yale. He scored 20 points against Maine, on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Blackmon tossed in 14 points, connecting on 8-of-8 free throws, while handing out eight assists vs. URI, and scored 20 points vs. Bethune-Cookman on 6-of-10 shooting from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the three-point arc. He just missed a double-double vs. Marist with 14 points and nine assists. Blackmon excelled in front of his hometown crowd with 11 points and five assists vs. Georgetown. He scored 19 points vs. Bryant, connecting on 8-of-10 second half free throws. Blackmon took over the Central Connecticut game, scoring nine points in a 90-second spurt in the second half to put the game away, scoring 14 points overall. He led the Bears against St. Peter's with 13 points and five assists, and just missed a double-double vs. Holy Cross with nine points and eight assists. He added 11 points and five assists vs. Niagara. Blackmon is coming off a breakout season in 2014-15 where he averaged in double figures (10.4 ppg) and led the Bears in assists (114). He scored a career-high 25 points vs. Harvard on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and 11-of-12 shooting from the free throw line, while also handing out a season-high nine assists against the Crimson. Blackmon ranked fifth in the Ivy League with 3.9 assists per game, and was fourth in the league in free throw percentage (.820).
Brown Career Assists
1. 577, by Mike Waitkus (1982-86)
2. 522, by Sean McGonagill (2010-14)
3. 514, by Jason Forte (2001-2005)
4. 380, by Eric Blackiston (1992-96)
5. 379, by Rick Lloyd (1988-92)
6. 362, by Eddie Morris (1972-75)
7. 356, by Tavon Blackmon (2013-present)
8. 299, by Chuck Savage (1988-92)
Jason Massey Helps on The Backboard: Sophomore guard Jason Massey (Cooper City, FL), who has started 17-of-26 games for the Bears, scored a career-high 17 points vs. Maine on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Massey, who is averaging 5.7 ppg and 3.6 rpg, posted then career highs of points (15) and rebounds (10) in his first career double-double vs. Marist. Massey scored 15 points vs. URI, connecting on 2-of-3 treys. He had nine points and a career-high six assists vs. Bethune-Cookman. Massey registered 11 points and a then career high eight rebounds vs. Central Connecticut. He had eight points and pulled down five rebounds vs. Bryant. Massey had six points and four assists vs. #25 SMU, and scored a then career-high 12 points vs. Providence on 5-of-8 shooting from the field. He also scored nine points vs. Niagara and seven points vs. St. Peter's. Massey tossed in nine points and grabbed five rebounds vs. New Hampshire. Massey saw action in all 30 games for the Bears last season, earning starting roles vs. Prairie View, Johnson & Wales and American.
Triplett Earns Playing Time: Sophomore guard Patrick Triplett (St. Louis, MO) scored a season high nine points at Penn, connecting on 3-of-6 field goals. Last week, Triplett netted four points in Brown's win over Dartmouth. Triplett returned to the lineup after missing Brown's first 10 games and scored six points, while grabbing two rebounds vs. Bethune-Cookman in 15 minutes of play. He earned a starting role vs. Princeton at home. Trioplett netted five points and grabbed three rebounds vs. Harvard.
Hobbie Fourth In Ivy Treys: Sharpshooting junior JR Hobbie (Spring Lake, NJ), averaging 8.3 ppg, is fourth in the Ivy League in treys made (2.4 per game). His 181 career treys rank fifth all-time at Brown. Last week, he connected on a trey with six seconds remaining vs. Dartmouth to send the game into overtime. He connected on 3-of-4 treys last week vs. Harvard. Hobbie netted 10 points at Harvard on 3-of-6 shooting from beyond the three-point arc, and completed a four-point play by converting a free throw against the Crimson. He scored 15 points vs. Cornell, connecting on 5-of-9 treys. Hobbie scored 14 points vs. Rhode Island and tossed in 13 points vs. Bethune-Cookman on 4-of-7 shooting from beyond the three-point arc. Hobbie hit 4-of-7 treys in scoring 14 points vs. Marist. He tossed in a game-high 16 points in Brown's win over Holy Cross on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the three point arc. Hobbie netted 10 points for the Bears against Georgetown, and scored 12 points vs. New Hampshire. He had nine points, all on treys, in the Bears' win over Central Connecticut. Last year, Hobbie started 11 of Brown's last 12 games and connected on 73 treys, fourth best in Brown basketball history. Hobbie scored a career-best 21 points in consecutive wins vs. Penn in 2014-15. He also connected on a career-high six treys against the Quakers. Hobbie ranked seventh in the Ivy League in three-point field goal pct. (.408) and third in the Ivies in treys made with 2.4 per game.
Brown Career: Individual 3-Pointers Made
1. 249, Sean McGonagill (2010-14)
2. 232, Damon Huffman (2004-08)
3. 215, Brian Lloyd (1992-96)
4. 201, Rick Lloyd (1988-92)
5. 181, JR Hobbie (2013-present)
6. 165, Mark McAndrew (2004-08)
165, Matt Sullivan (2009-13)
8. 159, Adrian Williams (2007-11)
9. 158, Earl Hunt (1999-03)
10. 144, Tucker Halpern (2009-13)
Sullivan Steps Up: Bears' freshman guard Chris Sullivan (Wilmette, IL) scored nine of his career high 11 points in the second half vs. Daniel Webster. His two treys midway through the second half ignited a 9-2 Brown run that gave the Bears control of the game. He has seen action in 21 of Brown's 26 games.
Head Coach Mike Martin: Former Brown basketball standout Mike Martin '04, the 31st head men's basketball coach in the program's 109-year history, has changed the direction and culture of the program in three years as head coach of the Bears, with the building blocks in place to develop an Ivy Championship team. Martin took over the reins of the program in 2012-13 and was named a finalist for the Joe B. Hall Award as the nation's outstanding first-year head coach after leading the Bears to a turnaround season with a 13-15 overall record, including a fourth-place finish in the Ivy standings with a 7-7 mark after winning four of its last five games. Martin's 2013-2014 team posted a 15-14 overall record and hosted Brown's first-ever postseason game, playing Holy Cross in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament at the Pizzitola Sports Center. In addition, he has guided two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Kuakumensah, the Ivy League's all-time leader in blocked shots. A four-year starter at Brown, Martin was part of the winningest class in Bears' basketball history, posting a 63-45 four-year record from 2000-2004. He also helped the Class of 2004 to a school-record 39-17 Ivy League mark during that period -- the best by an Ivy League team, other than Penn and Princeton, since 1970. An Agawam, Mass., native, Martin launched his coaching career at Brown as an assistant coach in 2005-06, and was an assistant coach at Penn from 2006-12.
Fuller First Forward Off The Bench: Freshman forward Travis Fuller (Encinitas, CA) has seen considerable playing time in all of Brown's 26 games and is the first forward off the bench for the Bears. He had five points and four rebounds at Harvard and four points and four rebounds at Princeton. Fuller netted 11 points and grabbed a season high six rebounds against Daniel Webster, and had six points and four rebounds vs. Yale. He stepped up against Providence with a career-high 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field, while pulling down a career-high six rebounds. He had six points before fouling out vs. New Hampshire. Fuller grabbed four rebounds vs. St. Peter's and three rebounds vs. SMU and Central Connecticut.
Haber Earns Starting Role: Sophomore forward Kyle Haber (Dubuque, IA) has seen his playing time increased in recent weeks and has earned a starting role in Brown's last three games. He scored a career high 11 points vs. Columbia on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, including 3-of-3 from beyond the three-point arc.
Watch Live Video of The Bears On BrownBears.TV: All of Brown's home games and its Ivy League away games can be viewed on the Ivy League Digital Network, a nine-channel digital network that includes an easy-to-navigate interface, a League-wide network schedule and interactive features, such as simultaneous four-game viewing, full DVR controls and social media integration. These features are available on computer, mobile and tablet devices all without the use of an app. Packages for Brown's channel are $89.95 for 12 months, $34.95 for four months, $10.95 for one month and $9.95 for a day pass. Packages for the League-wide channel, which features everything the network has to offer, are $119.95 for 12 months, $49.95 for four months and $15.95 for one month.
Bears Shoot The Trey: Following Brown's game vs. #25 SMU, where Brown connected on 15-of-32 treys, Mustangs Associate Head Coach Tim Jankovich had kind words for the Bears and their shooting prowess. "Every player who comes on the floor is a three-point threat," Jankovich told the Associated Press. "It's kind of like playing the Golden State Warriors."
Bears On The Air: Brown's entire 28-game schedule is being broadcast on WPRV-AM 790 with Scott Cordischi, the voice of Brown basketball and football, calling all the action. Former Brown basketball star Russ Tyler '71 (1,133 career points) provides the color analysis. Brown fans can also listen to the broadcast on http://www.790business.com.
