The men’s basket­ball team kicked off the 2015–2016 campaign with two impressive victories, defeating Kalamazoo Col­lege Saturday with a score of 91–81 and Muskingum University on Tuesday to the tune of 102–94. Offen­sive firepower came at a premium in both contests for the Yeomen, who were red-hot from the court in both games.

In the season opener against the Kalamazoo College Hornets, the Yeo­men started the contest engaged in a back-and-forth battle that featured 16 lead changes and eight ties. Coming out of the first half up by three, the Yeo­men used several offensive bursts to build their lead all the way up to 22 points with 5 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the second half, which ultimately al­lowed them to coast to victory.

Oberlin displayed a well-balanced attack against the Hornets as five different players scored in double figures. The Yeomen were led by NCAC Player of the Week Jack Poyle, who reg­istered his first career dou­ble-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Nathan Cohen also displayed a hot hand with a career-high 21 points on six of nine shooting from the field. Senior center and Review Sports Editor Ran­dy Ollie added 14 points of his own, complimented by 11 points from junior guard Zach Meyers and a 10-point effort from junior guard Zach Moo Young.

In Tuesday’s home opener against the Musk­ingum University Fighting Muskies, the Yeomen came out firing on all cylinders, with 15 first-half points from Poyle and a hard-nosed defense to head into the locker room up 49–23 at the half. A tough full-court press allowed Muskingum to mount a second-half comeback as a Muskies’ three-pointer with 97 seconds remaining cut the Yeomen’s lead down to eight. However, the Yeo­men were able to hold off the frantic Muskies’ come­back with some clutch free-throw shooting — nine of ten down the stretch — to secure the victory.

The Yeomen shot lights out from the court against the Muskies, shooting .625 as a team to go along with a remarkable .538 from behind the arc. Poyle and Cohen were key to the Yeo­men’s offensive effort; the duo tore apart the Muskies’ defense for a combined 48-points. Senior forward Matt Walker was impres­sive down low, netting 14 points on five of six shoot­ing from the floor. Meyers and Ollie both added 10 points for Oberlin in yet another balanced Yeomen effort, where at least five players scored in double digits.

Walker attributed both victories to Oberlin’s live­ly style of play and good communication.

“In both games, we were able to score by moving the ball and pushing the ball down the court, allowing [for] easier offense and quicker shots,” Walker said. “We have also done a pretty decent job in communicat­ing on the defensive end for multiple possessions, which helps a lot.”

The Yeomen return all five starters and leading scorers from last year’s squad, leaving Oberlin with a seasoned group of veterans and a start­ing lineup composed en­tirely of upperclassmen. The Yeomen also added seven newcomers who look to provide some help­ful depth throughout the season. Poyle pointed out that the great chemistry this year’s team has devel­oped separates them from teams of the past.

“We are playing more up-tempo than in previous years, and it fits our per­sonnel well,” Poyle said.

Head Coach Isaiah Cavaco, who is entering his ninth season with the Yeo­men, said he knows that his team will need to con­tinue to improve in order to get to where they want to be.

“We need to do better at keeping our defensive focus. Late-shot clock situ­ations have given us trou­ble and so have defensive possessions late in games,” Cavaco said. “We’ve also got to do better at handling defensive pressure when we have a lead.”

With a veteran roster and two impres­sive wins to start the season, expectations are high for the Yeomen’s season. When asked about his predictions for the season, however, Cavaco resisted getting ahead of himself.

“I know it’s cliché, but I want to see us continue to push up our level of play. If we can play the right way — as we’ve defined it — for extended periods of time, we can be a really good team,” he said.

Oberlin hits the road this weekend as they travel to New York to face off against Houghton College on Friday. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.