Heading into Ivy League play, the men’s basketball team has cruised to victories in its last three games, bringing its overall record to 7-8. The Bear’s biggest win in a 4-3 campaign over break came Dec. 28 in a 69-68 upset against cross-town rival Providence College.
“I thought that was an important win,” said Head Coach Mike Martin ’04. “We had been working pretty hard leading up to that game and hadn’t really seen the fruits of our hard work in the win-loss column.”
Bruno opened its Ivy League campaign Saturday, posting a 65-51 win over Yale (6-12, 0-1) at the Pizzitola Sports Center.
“We talk about getting better every day and being the best team we can be,” Martin said. “I’m very confident we can be a good basketball program going forward, and I think our guys believe that as well.”
Co-captain Sean McGonagill ’14 led the Bears, scoring 20 points and dishing out four assists. McGonagill was joined in his efforts by co-captain Matt Sullivan ’13, who added 13 points of his own and collected 6 rebounds.
“I think improving one step at a time is the biggest thing for us,” McGonagill said. “We’re looking to improve our fundamentals and our basic team defense. We want to go in and improve ourselves every day.”
McGonagill was honored as the Ivy League Co-Player of the Week for his performance. McGonagill said that Sullivan and co-captain Tyler Ponticelli ’13 will also continue to play important roles as the team enters Ivy play.
The team’s commitment to hard work also extends off the court. Bruno hosted a clinic for the Rhode Island Special Olympics over break, teaching fundamentals and drills to nearly 150 Special Olympians.
“It’s always important to keep our team involved in the community,” McGonagill said. “It was a great experience for us to help individuals learn more about basketball.”
“We’re all fortunate to be in the position we’re in,” Martin added. “Basketball has afforded us all some pretty incredible opportunities. … Any chance we have to use basketball as a way to give back is a great opportunity for us.”
Bruno aims to stay unbeaten in the Ivy League in Saturday’s rematch against Yale in New Haven.
“We need to focus on what we did well in our last game, as well as what we can improve on,” McGonagill said. “Playing good defense is the biggest thing for us. If we can get stops and have more possessions than they do, that will lead us to a win.”
ADVERTISEMENT
