The Stars of Storrs overcame 14 3-pointers made by the Brown Ballers to advance to the second round for the second consecutive season.
The tip was won by the Brown Ballers, but for the first few minutes, it was the Stars of Storrs who controlled the game. With former Clemson Tiger Eli Thomas leading the way, they broke out to an 11-3 start.
The momentum dramatically shifted toward the Brown Ballers. All of a sudden, they could not miss and went into the locker room with a 45-44 lead.
In the first half, the Brown Ballers shot 15-28 from the field and 9-15 from deep, while the Stars of Storrs shot 16-38 from the floor and 3-18 from 3-point range.
What became an advantage in the first 18 minutes was the rebounding advantage, which resulted in the Stars of Storrs capitalizing on second-chance points. The Stars of Storrs outrebounded the Brown Ballers 26-12 overall in the first half, including a 15-2 advantage on the offensive glass.
The size of the Stars of Storrs was present on both ends of the floor for the first two quarters. The Stars of Storrs were able to stay in it with 22 points in the paint to the Brown Ballers’ eight.
Jaz Bains and Ankit Choudhary led the way at the break for the Brown Ballers with 10 points each. Choudhary became the most valuable player of the first half for the Brown Ballers with four assists and shooting 4-5 from the field, including two treys.
Thomas was a one-man wrecking crew for the Stars of Storrs for the first half, leading all players with 15 points and seven rebounds on 6-10 shooting from the field.
Kassim Nicholson and Ryan Boatright got into double figures in the second half with 12 and 10 points, respectively, which helped the Stars of Storrs get back in front for the first time since the first quarter.
Thomas gave Brown Ballers’ Jayden Grewal a two-handed shove in the final minute of the third quarter, which resulted in a Flagrant 1 foul. However, Grewal missed both free throws, a massive break for the Stars of Storrs.
With the Elam Ending set for 89, Boatright knocked down a 3-pointer, which sealed the win for the Stars of Storrs.
Thomas led all scorers with 22 points, while Boatright finished with 19 points.
The Stars of Storrs shot 49.2% from the floor, 29.6% from deep and 66.7% from the free-throw line. They dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Brown Ballers 41-25, with a 19-5 advantage on the offensive glass. They had all five of the game’s blocks and had a 10-2 edge on steals.
The second-chance points turned to be critical for the Stars of Storrs, scoring 21 to the Brown Ballers’ four.
40 of the team’s 90 points came in the paint, showing that despite the shotmaking, the Brown Ballers were no match for the Stars of Storrs’ size.
The Stars of Storrs will face the Green Mountain Men on Monday.
Calhoun's Corner 
Good write up Sent from my iPhone
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