Cougars clinch American Division with win over Eastern

On Thursday, the Cougars defeated Eastern 66-48 to capture at least a share of the American Olympic divisional crown. Lenape still has one game left in the division, which will determine if the Cougars will have sole possession of first place.

The Cougars shot very well as a team throughout the game. Although Eastern is considered a solid team, the Cougars showed their superiority in every facet of the game.

Chris Santo ('11) led the way with 24 points as he played a great game throughout as he added six rebounds and four steals.

Jake Gurkin ('12) also had a great game, as he scored 14 points and retrieved nine rebounds along with two blocks.

Marc Schlessel ('12) and Dan Melleby ('11) each contributed 13 points. Schlessel shot 5 of 8 from the field while Melleby dished out six assists.

The Cougars did allow Eastern to hang around in the first half as they took only a nine-point lead into the half. However, the Cougars played well in the third quarter and erased any doubt whether they would win this game.

Santo also played well in that he had three fouls by the middle of the second quarter and did not pick up another foul for the rest of the game.

Player of the Game: Gurkin. His 14 points and nine boards helped secure the win and the division for the Cougars.

Key Stats

Santo-24 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals

Gurkin-14 points, 9 rebounds, 2 blocks

Schlessel-13 points

Melleby-13 points, 6 assists