Former Vikings Big Man Is Another Past GMC Standout Playing Well in Centennial Conference
SWARTHMORE, PA–Earlier this week, GMC Hoops reported on the success of former Bishop Ahr boys hoops standout, Owen McLeod, who had a superb freshman season coming off the bench at Muhlenberg College of the Centennial Conference. Â McLeod isn’t the only former player from the GMC now enjoying success at the next level in the Centennial. Â South Brunswick’s Chris Bourne is also achieving a great amount of success playing for Swarthmore outside of Philadelphia.
Bourne, who graduated from South Brunswick in 2013, has just completed a sophomore season with accolades at Swarthmore. Â A month and a half ago, Bourne was given Centennial Conference post-season honors with teammate Karl Barkley. Â Bourne was given honorable mention honors for the All Centennial Conference team. Â This past season, Bourne was highly efficient as he shot 57.5 percent from the floor en route to averaging 13.5 points per game and 6.7 rebounds per game. Â Playing and starting in all 25 games for the Garnet, Bourne averaged 31 minutes per game, and also averaged an assist per game while ranking second on the team in blocks.
The former SBHS standout ranked first in rebounding, 2nd in scoring and field goal percentage (made 126 of 219 FG attempts), and 6th in assists. Â Bourne also performed decently at the line by going 86 of 128 at the charity stripe for 67 percent. Â Bourne scored in double figures in 19 of Swarthmore’s 25 games this season including five games where he scored 20 points or more. Â Bourne also picked up three double-doubles during the course of the season. Â His season high was against Cairn University on November 29, 2014 when he scored 25 points on 9 of 14 shooting from the floor and a perfect 7 of 7 from the foul line. Â Bourne also collected 5 rebounds and a block in 35 minutes playing time in the Garnet’s 73-60 victory. Â Bourne was even more efficient in a conference game versus Ursinus on November 25, 2014.
In that game, Bourne connected on 8 of 12 from the field and 8 of 10 from the foul line for 24 points while also picking up 7 boards, an assist and a block in 27 minutes as the Garnet won that contest as well, 75-63. Â Bourne had 10 games where he collected more than his season average in rebounds including three in double digits, and 7 contests where he had 9 or more boards. Â Bourne collected his season high in rebounds against Haverford on January 21, 2015 when he grabbed 12 boards while also scoring 20 points in a 76-75 victory by the Garnet. Â This past season, Swarthmore finished 11-14 overall including a 7-11 mark in the Centennial Conference, which placed the Garnet in a three way tie for 6th place with Muhlenberg and Ursinus. Â
Other players from around Central Jersey that are teammates of Bourne on Swarthmore including former Summit big man Robbie Walsh, who led the Hilltoppers to a come from behind win over Colonia in the 2014 North Jersey Section 2 Group III semifinals and Montgomery’s Michael Rubayo.