Brooklyn Men Squeak by L.I. in "East vs. West" Game

Brooklyn, N.Y. — Despite their lead at halftime, the Golden Eagles (2-7) couldn't pull out a win against their Brooklyn Bear (5-5) brothers at SJC's annual "East vs. West" showdown, falling 80-77.  Junior forward Darryl Charles (Middletown, N.Y./ Poughkeepsie) led the Long Island team with a game and season-high of 30 points.

The Eagles were slow to get moving, falling behind early as the Bears quickly established a 7-0 lead.  The visiting team recovered from the initial blow however and slowly chipped away at their deficit, tying the game at 37 with a minute left in the half.  Eddie Wenzel's (Port Jeff Station, N.Y./ Newfield) three-point jumper with seven seconds left on the clock gave the Eagles a three-point lead at halftime.

The second half proved to be a competitive one as the score evened out with every other play. Charles' made free throw with 35 seconds on the clock brought his team within one point but it wasn't enough for the Eagles to take home the win.  The Bears went on to sink two free throws before the final buzzer, bringing the final score of the game to 80-77.

In addition to his 30 points, Charles led his team on the defensive end of the court as well with a whopping 17 rebounds.  Nick Gallina (Holbrook, N.Y./ Sachem North) proved to be the playmaker of the game, logging nine points, ten assists and eight rebounds.  Freshman guard Andy Laurent (Amityville, N.Y./ Amityville) scored an impressive 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. 

The Eagles will play their first home game, a Skyline Conference matchup, at 3 p.m. on January 4 against the Sage Gators.