In a game that Our Savior's led wire to wire, Jace Easley did something for the first time in his career: record a triple-double.
Easley notched 26 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, Conor McCaffrey poured in 26 points and 12 assists, and the Eagles (13-5, 9-3 Conference) picked up their fourth consecutive Conferenc win and second straight over New Berlin, 65-50, on Thursday night.
Last year, Easley played the hero and iced the ‘roadkill’ for the Eagles with a jumper from the top of the key over Kevin Howell. The victory snapped a 15-game losing streak to the Pretzels. This year, his triple-double helped erase a 7-game home losing streak against New Berlin (14-6, 8-5 Conference) dating back to 2011.
The Eagles jumped out to a hot start thanks to some efficient looks from Easley and McCaffrey. The duo combined for 28 of Our Saviors’ 36 first-half points on 10-of-15 shooting and a perfect 5-of-5 at the line for Easley. The two actually led New Berlin by themselves in points (25 to 23), rebounds (18 to 11) and assists (4 to 2) at the break.
Now, it wasn’t ALL Easley and McCaffrey. The Eagles defense held New Berlin to just 30% from the floor and 0-9 from deep in the first half. It was the lowest first-half point total for the Pretzels all season. Pair that with stingy defense with excellent performances from your team’s best, and you have the recipe for a win almost every night.
Every time New Berlin cut Our Saviors’ lead to single digits, the Eagles had an answer. McCaffrey tallied 14 more points in the second half, Easley picked up 12 points and 8 more dimes and they did what great teams do — finish. Our Savior's out-rebounded New Berlin 46-19 for the game and commanded the final 12 minutes to pull away, 65-50.