Phoenix, Arizona – Phoenix College is proud to announce that PC Men’s Basketball player Brandon Brown has become the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Bears’ Men’s Basketball program. Brown became the new leader during the Bears’ 96-80 win over 4th-seeded Scottsdale Community College in Wednesday night’s Region I Division II Semifinals at “The Bears’ Den” on the PC campus. Brown’s 37-point performance in the victory helped him surpass Dennis “Mo” Layton, who played for the Bears from 1967-69, to the top spot on the list.
In fact, in some ways, it’s almost anticlimactic to say that Brown’s performance for the game helped him reach the milestone, since he actually accomplished the goal in the first half. Entering last night’s contest, Brown trailed Layton by 20 points on the all-time list, which most would think might take at least one full game to score-maybe even two. But that 20-point margin disappeared quickly last night, since Brown scored 11 points in the game’s first seven minutes of play.
Brown then started balancing his offensive attack over the next six minutes, weaving through defensive traffic for layups while dishing out assist passes to get his teammates involved. Suddenly, in a three-minute stretch, Brown then exploded for four field goals, including a three-point bomb from the top of the key with 3:11 left in the first half to give him 21 points for the game, thus giving him the new program record with 1435 points, edging Layton’s 1434. Brown would add one more bucket before the half expired to give him 23 for the first 20 minutes; then added 14 more in the second half to help ice the victory, and give him his new playoff career-high in points.
Layton eventually parlayed his stellar two-year career at PC into a great NCAA stint at the University of Southern California, and later a five-year NBA and ABA career-including two years with the Phoenix Suns. Brown’s community college career has had him on the radar of over a dozen four-year universities, so his possibilities for the future are through the roof as well. Before he concentrates on the next level, though, Brown-who just earned ACCAC Player of the Year honors last week-is still focused on getting the Bears a third straight Region I title tomorrow (Friday) night, as well as another trip to the NJCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championships in Danville, Illinois-the site of the Bears’ first-ever national men’s basketball title that Brown orchestrated a year ago. His head coach also points out that the Bears’ scoring record isn't the only record that Brown now owns, since his 112 career steals is easily the most in the program's history; and still may not be the only ones that fall before Brown completes his Bears’ career.
“Breaking Mo Layton's scoring record is an unbelievable accomplishment for Brandon,” remarked Bears’ Men’s Head Basketball Coach Matt Gordon. “He has been able to score at a high level consistently for two years because he is a tireless worker. Brandon will also finish his career in the top two in career assists, which puts him at a level unparalleled by any player in Phoenix College Men's Basketball History. To have been able to coach him for two years has been a great honor.”
Brown’s 11 assists last night gave him 408 for his career, which trails PC’s all-time assist leader, Ray Jones, by just 40.
(Article courtesy of Phoenix College athletic website - www.phoenixcollege.edu)
