Keion Brooks Jr. shines in 40-point debut
The REPORTER
The Noblesville Boom (14-14) fell to the College Park Skyhawks (8-20), 140-121, on Thursday night at The Arena at Innovation Mile.
In his Boom debut, Keion Brooks Jr. recorded a career-high 40 points on 14-of-22 shooting from the field, including 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, along with eight rebounds to lead the way for the Boom. Dakota Mathias made his season debut after returning to the team earlier today, finishing with 27 points, six assists, and four rebounds. M.J. Iraldi added 16 points and five assists.
Isaih Moore lifted the Skyhawks with a team‑high 26 points on 12-of-13 shooting from the field, along with eight rebounds. RayJ Dennis (17 points, 11 assists) and Asa Newell (17 points, 13 rebounds) both notched double‑doubles, while Keshon Gilbert posted 20 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and three steals.
In a back-and-forth opening period that saw eight lead changes, the Skyhawks managed to edge out a four-point advantage (38-34) after shooting 65.4 percent from the field. Mathias made an immediate impact in his return after a perfect start to the game, scoring 10 of his 27 points on 4-of-4 shooting, including two made threes to keep things close heading into the second. After falling behind by seven early in the second period, the Boom responded with an 18-6 run to pull in front by six, their largest lead of the game, with 5:17 remaining in the half. College Park closed the second period with a run of its own to reclaim a six-point advantage (68-62) at the halfway point, despite a 13-point frame from Brooks Jr.
Things remained close coming out of the break until the Skyhawks closed the third quarter with a 25-8 burst to seize control and take a 17-point lead (112-95) into the fourth. Brooks Jr. continued his strong play in the final frame with 15 more points. Despite his effort, the Skyhawks stretched their lead to as many as 21 points to cruise to their eighth win of the regular season.
NEXT UP
The Boom hit the road for a two-game set against the Motor City Cruise, beginning on Tuesday at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan. Coverage will stream live on ESPN+, tipping off at 11 a.m.
Tickets and team updates are available at NoblesvilleBoom.com, and fans can stream every game live at NBAGLeague.com.
