By: Andrew Gavin (@GBGavin)
GreenBayPhoenix.com

GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) - Kam Cerroni (Sussex, Wis.) did it on Thursday night with a career-high 23 points and Keifer Sykes (Chicago, Ill.) on Saturday with a gutsy performance. While their team was sweeping a weekend series against Valparaiso and Butler, the Phoenix guards were overshadowing strong, consistent and important efforts from their teammates on the frontline.

With Cerroni and Sykes stealing the headlines, Green Bay's post duo of 7-foot-1 sophomore Alec Brown (Winona, Minn.) and 6-foot-9 junior Brennan Cougill (Sioux City, Iowa) were dominating the interior. In the two weekend wins, including Thursday's 75-60 win over then league-leading Valparaiso and an 80-68 victory over Butler on national television on Saturday, Brown and Cougill combined for 70 points and 34 rebounds.

Each player had 35 points (17.5/game) in the two contests while combining to hit 23-of-43 shots from the field and a staggering 20-of-22 free throws.

On Thursday, Valpo's Kevin Van Vijk (16.0 ppg) and Ryan Broekhoff (8.9 rpg) entered as the Horizon League's leading scorer and rebounder, respectively. Cougill (14 points/10 rebounds) and Brown (16/8) outscored their post counterparts 30-23 and outrebounded the Crusader duo 18-13. Brown also tied the program's all-time blocks record with two swats.

In Saturday's win against Butler, Cougill scored a career-high 21 points using a wide array of offense. The junior transfer knocked down 3-of-6 from long range, made all six of his free throws and scored on a thunderous dunk late to help seal the win.

Brown had his most efficient contest of the year against the Bulldogs, scoring 19 points on just seven shots (5-7) due in large part to an aggressive mindset that put him on the free-throw line 10 times (9-10). Both players grabbed eight boards as Green Bay outrebounded Butler 35-30. Butler center Andrew Smith and power forward Khyle Marshall combined for 10 points and seven rebounds.

As Green Bay looks ahead to Saturday, when it hosts Milwaukee at 1 p.m. for the Black Out Cancer Game, the Phoenix hope for continued strong play in the post from Brown and Cougill.

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Team Notes

• Green Bay improved to 9-1 at the Resch Center in 2011-12 with the two wins.
• The Phoenix outrebounded both Valpo (39-31) and Butler (35-30), ending a streak of seven games in a row without outrebounding its opposition.
• Green Bay has made 115-of-153 free throws in its past six home games, including 42-of-55 in the wins over Valpo and Butler.
• Riding the hot hand of Kam Cerroni, Green Bay made 13-of-29 three-pointers in the past two games.
• Green Bay failed to block a shot for the first time this season against Butler.
• The team's six turnovers against Valparaiso were a season-low.
• Since the beginning of 2012, Green Bay has four players averaging in double figures - Sykes (13.1), Brown (12.7, Cougill (11.4) and Cerroni (11.1).

Individual Notes

• Brown tied the all-time Green Bay blocks record with two blocked shots against Valparaiso and is now tied with Terry Evans (2005-09) with 132.
• With three more blocks, Brown will break the single-season school record of 67 blocks, which he set as a freshman in 2010-11.
• Brown has at least one block in 46 of 53 career games and 19 of 21 in 2011-12.
• The sophomore has scored in double figures in 16 of 21 games this season and 34 times in his Phoenix career.
• Brown has started each of the 53 games that Green Bay has played in his career. He played a career-high 38 minutes against Butler.
• The sophomore currently ranks in the top-10 in the Horizon League in points (t7th, 13.7), rebounding (2nd, 7.7), free throw percentage (4th, 78.5), blocks (2nd, 3.1), offensive rebounds (1st, 3.1) and defensive rebounds (6th, 4.6).
• Cougill's 10-rebound game against Valpo was his fourth game with 10 or more boards this season and second double-double.
• His three made three-pointers against Butler were a season high.
• Cougill has made 29 of his last 34 free throws and is shooting 77.8 percent on the season.
• Sophomore Kam Cerroni shattered his career high with 23 points against Valpo. He tied his career high with five three-pointers.
• Cerroni continues to lead the Horizon League in three-point percentage, both overall (.463, 38-82) and in league play (.500, 28-56).
• In his last 15 games, after starting the season just 3-for-12, Cerroni has made 35-of-70 from beyond the arc.
• Freshman Keifer Sykes has scored 10 or more points in seven of eight games since turning 18. He is averaging 13.6 points and 4.1 assists during that stretch.
• Sykes has dished out a career-high seven assists three times this season, including in two games in a row.
• He leads all freshman in points, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
• Among the 10 Horizon League starting point guards, only Youngstown State's Kendrick Perry (38) has fewer turnovers than Sykes (40).
• Freshman Josh Humphrey grabbed a career-high nine rebounds in his first collegiate start against Valpo.