In the consolation game of the Muncie City of Champions tournament Jan. 29, South Bend Adams (6-10, 3-5 NIC) senior forward Tommy Snyder filled the stat sheet.
Snyder scored a career high 35 points to help Adams defeat Muncie Burris (2-9, 0-3 PAAC) 76-50. Snyder recorded a double-double with 27 rebounds, also a career high. Burris assistant coach Tice Rodgers said the Owls lack of rebounding led to Snyder's performance.
“To be honest, big boys are hard to stop,” Rodgers said. “At the end of the day, [Snyder] was doing a great job of crashing the boards and being on the boards every time he missed his shot. We could’ve boxed out a little bit more, but at the end of the day, that’s just ifs, maybes, and buts. He's a great player and he’s got a lot to look forward to.”
Junior guard Brittian Vann tallied 14 points for the Eagles, including two 3-pointers near the end of the first half to give Adams a 10-point lead at halftime. Sophomore guard Rashad Simpson recorded 12 points and five rebounds, while freshman guard Alex Hawthorne chipped in eight points and three assists.
For the Owls, junior guards Colin McBride and Bryce Karnes combined for 36 of their 50 points. McBride scored a team-high 21 points while contributing four assists. Karnes scored 15 points and finished with seven rebounds.
Bryce Karnes (4) goes for a layup against the Muncie Central Bearcats at the Inaugural City of Champion Basketball Invitational on Jan. 29, 2022, at Muncie Fieldhouse in Muncie, IN. Amber Pietz, DN
Although they lost both games in the tournament, Rodgers was happy with Burris' effort.
“We had a tough first game, and in this one, we came out a little flat,” Rodgers said. “But, we started to pick it up, started to hit some shots. Towards the end, we were a bit gassed. But, with our intensity and our hustle, you can’t complain about it at the end of the day.”
Anderson loved hosting a tournament to showcase some of the talented athletes Muncie offers.
“It means a lot [to have this tournament],” Rodgers said. “There’s been a lot of good basketball here for the many years that Muncie Burris and Muncie Central have been around. There’s a lot of good basketball to come through here. It brings the community together to have a nice expo for these young, talented men.”
Burris returns to action Feb. 1 against Frankton (7-7, 4-1 CIC). Tipoff is 7:30 p.m. Adams travels to play against Jimtown (7-8, 3-4 NIC) Feb. 3. Tipoff is 7:30 p.m.
Contact Nate Grubb with comments at nathaniel.grubb@bsu.edu or on Twitter @GrubbNate43.