Brown takes care of business against J&W

PROVIDENCE — Brown University’s senior class will never know a losing season in non-conference play.

The Bears will finish over .500 for the fourth straight year thanks to Tuesday’s result at the Pizzitola Center. Division III Johnson & Wales provided the opposition as Brown tuned up for its Ivy League opener at Yale on Jan. 17.

Twelve players hit the scoring column for the Bears and four finished in double figures. It all added up to a rather comfortable 79-53 victory over the Wildcats in front of a light weeknight crowd.

Brown coach Mike Martin celebrated his 100th victory on his alma mater’s sidelines in easy fashion. Leading scorer Brandon Anderson (knee inflammation) wasn’t missed as freshman guard Perry Cowan and Joshua Howard each hit for 11 points. Dan Friday and Jaylan Gainey each came off the bench to add 10 for the Bears.

“We’ve got great support from our administration,” Martin said. “We don’t have to go play six guarantee games on the road. We can schedule enough home games to build a credible non-conference schedule and one where you can be successful.

“Now the challenge for us is to be above .500 in the Ivy League. We have to be a lot better than we’ve been in the Ivy League. That’s a tall order.”

Brown (7-6) was in firm control by the time the first media timeout arrived. JWU was 0-for-6 from the field and committed five turnovers in the opening five minutes. The Wildcats ultimately missed their first eight shots, and it was a 16-3 game after Providence native Chris Lugo knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing.

The Bears enjoyed a 44-18 lead into the break thanks to connecting at 65.5% from the floor. Ten players hit the score sheet for Brown in the opening 20 minutes, and the expected physical advantages the hosts enjoyed over JWU were made obvious. Brown outscored the Wildcats by a 34-6 count in the paint and by a 20-3 margin off the bench.

“No matter who you’re playing, we want to have standards here in our program,” Martin said. “We play the right way. Our habits are our habits no matter who we’re playing against.”

JWU (7-5) saw its three-game winning streak snapped despite the latest outburst from Brian Hogan-Gary. The senior guard matched a season-high with 14 field goals and tallied a game-high 31 points. It was the third straight game of at least 30 for Hogan-Gary, who has reached double figures in all 12 contests for the Wildcats. bkoch@providencejournal.com On Twitter: @BillKoch25