Knights bounce back

The Knights bounced back from a loss against Harvard to take down Hartford 67-48 on Dec. 3. Now with a big win under their belts, they look ahead to a slew of home games before the Christmas holiday.

That home stand begins with a showdown against longtime nearby rival Bethune Cookman at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10. The Wildcats are 3-5 on the season going into this week, with a recent 74-59 trouncing of Florida A&M as a recent high note on an otherwise roller coaster season.

The last time the two teams met up on Dec. 11, of last year, the Knights won 76-59 in a game dominated by emerging scoring leader Keith Clanton. Now with Clanton again leading the scoring, the Knights look to power through the Wildcats.

They have a good chance if they can maintain the defensive pressure they put on Hartford. In that game, sophomore forward Tristan Spurlock helped set the tone with 11 rebounds, two blocks and two steals while dropping 10 points in the basket. Clanton also helped keep up the pressure with seven rebounds and three steals to add to his 9 points.

But it was a career game by Isaiah Sykes that really helped bolster the Knights, as he grabbed 11 boards and snatched a block while also raining 22 points in the net.

Sykes, who had played as a sixth or seventh man all of last season, has emerged as a key factor on both ends of the court. In seven games he has 84 points, 48 rebounds, six blocks and eight steals to go with 22 turnovers. All of those numbers are well above his average from last season.

After the showdown against BCU, the Knights will host North Carolina A&T at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13. The Aggies (4-4) are coming off a 65-46 loss to N.C. Central that snapped a four-game winning streak.