The Bison (14-8, 8-1 Patriot League) posted a dominant performance against the Holy Cross Crusaders on Jan. 20 at Sojka Pavilion. Zach Thomas ’18 and Stephen Brown ’18 led the way with 18 points and 10 points, respectively, and the Orange and Blue did not trail once throughout the contest. The victory extended their winning streak to six games and they improve to 7-1 at home this season.

Brown also added six rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. The Bison got out to an early lead and showed no signs of slowing down. Brown sparked the offense with his efficient stat line, something he prides himself on with his game.

“Other aspects of the game are very important to me when it comes to playing and winning a game. Even if I’m not scoring, I always look for other opportunities to contribute to the team’s success,” Brown said. With this selfless mindset for not only Brown, but the rest of the team, winning comes easily.

Brown and Thomas also received additional help from Avi Toomer ’20 and Nana Foulland ’18 who combined for 24 points. As a team, the Orange and Blue shot 44 percent from the field and went 7-27 from beyond the arc. However, it would not have been possible without the dominance on the glass. The Bison out-rebounded Holy Cross by seven, leading to more possessions and a team total of 15 assists. Foulland led the Bison with seven rebounds, showing, as usual, the powerful presence he is in the paint.

“It is great to be able to help my team in any way I can. We are all just trying to do our part to win a championship,” Foulland said. Thanks to such efficiency, every player saw the court towards the end of the game. Tre Newman ’21 recorded his first career points on a pair of free throws.

A smooth offensive strategy was executed to perfection, but a big theme of the game was solid defense. The Orange and Blue held the Crusaders to only five first-half field goals and led 36-19 at halftime. Holy Cross ended up shooting a rough 35.6 percent on the afternoon and went 4 of 18 from the perimeter. The stifling defense is a goal the team sets out to achieve early in games, which is a big reason why the Bison are number one in the Patriot League.

“Playing confident early makes the game a lot easier. We know that when we have good starts. We are a very hard team to beat,” Thomas said.

Coming off the dominant performance against Holy Cross, the Bison continued their winning streak Jan. 24 when they faced Navy. This 87-67 victory was largely due to Stephen Brown ’18 and his career high 27 points. With this win, the Bison are in sole possession of first place in Patriot League play.

The men will be back in action on Jan. 28. The game will be played at Boston University, with the tip-off time set for 12 p.m.