Viking men's basketball cruises past Southwestern

Saturday was special at Glen Oaks. The men's basketball capped off Sophomore Day and its home finale with an 84-67 win against Southwestern Michigan College. In the process, sophomore Daivion Boleware cemented his spot in Viking lore. 

This extended the GOCC winning streak to five consecutive league games and avenged their 96-70 defeat at SMC on January 31.

Boleware led the way, crossing 1,000 career points early in the first half with a smooth jumper. He needed 10 points to reach the milestone and the Jackson native ended the day with 30. He now boasts more than 500 career rebounds as well. 

"I wanted to get it over quick," Boleware said. "I feel like I play better when I block things out. I just block things out by focusing on what's next. Moving the ball, setting good screens, playing defense. It's the little things that make teams great. I felt like it would be better for the team if I didn't focus on (that milestone)."

But as big as the moment was for Boleware, he was quick to point out the success of this year's squad is a result of much more than just his individual performances. 

"We don't just play together on the court; we build bonds off the court so we can have trust in each other.," he said. "We've played this last five-game stretch the way we want to play. We're going to keep pushing and doing the right things, play unselfish basketball and we're going to get what we want. Our chemistry is there."

The game was stopped and he was honored, having reached the milestone quickly in the first half with a 3-pointer, a pair of free throws, a three-point play and a silky fadeaway jumper. That moment didn't stop Boleware's scoring though, as he continued to fill up the stat sheet, which included 17 rebounds and four assists. 

At halftime, GOCC had a 39-30 lead over the Roadrunners. They were able to maintain and grow the lead in the second half, posting a 39.4% three point percentage and 9/10 mark at the free throw line. Tyler Swanwick, Boleware and Tylan Harris all drained big 3-pointers late in the first half to get a nine-point cushion at the break. 

Darrius Roach gave the Vikings a big boost midway through the second half with a flurry of buckets, ranging from quick drives to the bucket to long-range marksmanship, en route to 20 points.

Viking sophomores Swanwick, Derek Anderson, Harris and Lavonta Ash were also honored before the game along with Boleware. They were surrounded by friends and family and felt the love from a solid crowd in the stands.

Harris was third on the team in scoring with 17 points on the night, while Swanwick had nine points, five assists and two steals. Ash and Shane Handlon both registered four ponts. Anderson recorded three rebounds and two assists for the Vikings. 

The win puts Glen Oaks at 17-9 overall and 8-3 in the Western Conference standings, locked into the second place spot. The Vikings close the regular season against conference champ Kalamazoo Valley Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. The Cougars are unbeaten at 11-0 in league play.