Men’s basketball opens season 1-1

The men’s basketball team suffered a blowout loss in its season opener, dropping a 96-60 contest on the road against Butler University on Monday, before bouncing back in its home opener against Division III King’s College, winning 104-67 on Thursday. The Leopards’ (1-1 overall) starting lineup on Monday consisted of four sophomores and freshman forward Jasraj Gill. The young squad struggled early, with back-to-back turnovers leading to five Butler (2-0 overall) points in the opening minutes, and never led the game from there. “It was a bit of a surreal experience for me,” Gill said of making the start in his first collegiate game. Looking to steady themselves, the Maroon and White went to sophomore forward Shareef Jackson down low, who began the scoring for the visitors with a series of buckets in the post. As the Bulldogs’ defense collapsed on Jackson, opportunities opened up for sophomore guards Cooper Kesler and Beckett Currie. “Shareef is a dominant player inside,” Gill said.

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