HOUGHTON, NY – The Houghton Highlanders raced out to a 30-point halftime lead and never looked back, defeating the visiting Fredonia State Blue Devils, 92-61, for their third win of the year.
The Highlanders shot the lights out in the first half, knocking down over 72 percent of their shots, including 8-for-11 (73 percent) from three-point range.
Meanwhile the Houghton defense proved stifling, limiting the Blue Devils to only 40 percent shooting on the game, and only 13 percent from long range.
While Fredonia played nearly basket-for-basket in the second half (37-to-38), the damage had already been done, and the deficit proven insurmountable.
GAME VITALS
Score: Houghton – 92 | Fredonia – 61
Records: Houghton: 3-5 |Fredonia: 1-7
Venue: Dix Family Court at the Nielsen Center, Houghton University| Attendance: 187
NOTABLE STATS
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Lou Bellamy scored 22 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 23 minutes of play. He has reached the 20-plus point mark in five of the Highlanders eight games this season.
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Jake Verschoyle chipped in 14 points and eight assists, while
Tyson Clark scored 12 and
Zach Sisson reached a new career-best with 10 points.
Donovan Loudermill paced the flow of the game with nine points, seven rebounds and five assists.
>> Martin Garza led the Blue Devils with 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals, while Chris Williams and Stevie Williams scored 15 and 14 points apiece, respectively.
COACH'S CORNER
"A lot of praise for my guys and how they executed tonight. That was one of the most dominant efforts on both ends of the floor that I've witnessed since I arrived here. We moved the ball, executed offensive plays, and hit shots. 72% shooting in a half is crazy, but it can happen when you prepare and execute. Then, we defended an offense that has given us fits the last couple of seasons pretty well. Fun night.
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Lou Bellamy did a lot of what we're used to - 22 points and nine boards in just 23 minutes - but his leadership and focus on defense made this a convincing win.
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Jake Verschoyle's eight assists are what I want to highlight. He can score in so many different ways, but when he's creating shots too, that's tough.
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Tyson Clark is on pace for as efficient a season as I've seen a purple & gold player play. Another 5-7 night with three assists and three steals. Ho hum. Just another day at the office for him. Hard to remember he is a freshman.
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Zach Sisson's 10 points off the bench are what makes our team so fun to coach. Guys are ready to go whether or not they have played much in previous games. He hit a couple of big shots versus Redeemer, but didn't play a lot against Grove City. No big deal for Zach, he's ready to pour in a career high a few days later. We have super guys." - Head Coach
Jeremy Bialek
UP NEXT
The Highlanders travel to Lewiston, New York on Saturday, December 20 for a pre-Christmas exhibition game against Division I Niagara University Purple Eagles.
