Kirkwood men put the squeeze on Ellsworth
The Kirkwood Eagles held Ellsworth to 10 points in the first half Wednesday night and topped the Panthers, 68-50, in an ICCAC men's basketball game at Johnson Hall.
Chris Burnell led the 16th-ranked Eagles (5-4) with 15 points, hitting 6-of-8 shots from the field. Blake Brinkmeyer finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. Corvon Seales also scored 13 points for Kirkwood.
Ellsworth (1-8) made only three field goals in the first half and trailed at intermission, 31-10. The Panthers pulled within 10 points in the second half at 37-27, but Burrnell scored seven straight points for Kirkwood to make it 44-27 and lift the Eagles out of danger.
Jaden Keller scored for Kirkwood to give the Eagles a 19-point bulge at 46-27 and the home team never led by fewer than 15 points the rest of the way.
Ellsworth star Adam Jackson finished with 23 points but had only two points on two free throws in the first half. Ellsworth had nine new players join the team for the winter semester to replenish a depleted roster.
Cortaviaus Seales and Blessin Kimble missed the game for Kirkwood due to injuries.
ELLSWORTH (50): Adam Jackson 5 10-10 23, Josh Kamara 1 0-0 3, Tony Alexander 1 0-1 3, Junior Bodden 1 0-0 3, Srdjan Kopunovic 2 0-0 4, Davionte Culpepper 0 0-0 0, Julian Landor 0 0-0 0, Pietro Vannini 3 0-0 7, Chase Smith 1 0-0 3, Jaren Kretzer 0 0-0 0, VJ Wilmington 1 2-6 4, Rich Ashu 0 0-0 0, Chay Guen 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 12-17 50.
KIRKWOOD (68): Noah King 2 2-2 7, Caleb Delzell 2 0-1 4, Chris Burnell 6 3-5 15, Corvon Seales 6 1-3 13, Blake Brinkmeyer 4 5-6 13, Da'Quavion Walker 0 0-2 0, Joich Gong 0 0-0 0, Dante Eldridge 2 0-0 6, Nick Pepin 0 0-0 0, Raejzuan Shockley 0 2-2 2, Jaleque Dunson 1 0-0 3, Jaden Keller 2 1-2 5, Tim Howard 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 14-24 68.
Halftime - Kirkwood 31, Ellsworth 10. 3-point goals - Ellsworth 8 (Jackson 3, Kamara 1, Alexander 1, Bodden 1, Vannini 1, Smith 1), Kirkwood 4 (Eldridge 2, King 1, Dunson 1).
