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 Santa Cruz Warriors

Santa Cruz Drops to D-Fenders

March 13, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release


SANTA CRUZ Calif. - The defending NBA D-League Champion Santa Cruz Warriors (15-26) fell to the Los Angeles D-Fenders (25-16) 114-110 on Saturday at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

Luis Montero, playing on assignment from the Portland Trail Blazers, and Darington Hobson paced the Warriors with 20 points apiece. Hobson would add 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Aaron Craft recorded 18 points and 7 assists on 8-of-9 shooting. Golden State assignee Kevon Looney posted 14 points and 6 rebounds.

The D-Fenders would see six players score in double-figures, paced by Vander Blue who posted a game-high 24 points. Josh Magette added 23 points and 5 assists, while Jeff Ayres recorded 17 points and a game-high 16 rebounds.

Los Angeles would open the game on a 10-2 run to take an early advantage. Santa Cruz would come back on a 16-8 run to tie the game at 18 points with 5:44 to play in the first quarter. The D-Fenders would control the scoreboard for the remainder of the first quarter, ending the high-scoring frame with a 37-32 lead.

Santa Cruz would slowly chip away at the Los Angeles lead throughout the second quarter and trail 62-60 with 5.5 seconds left to play. Aaron Craft would take the ball the length of the court off the inbound pass and make the buzzer-beating layup to enter the locker room tied with the D-Fenders at 62 points apiece.

Both teams remained close coming out of the halftime break until Los Angeles pulled away to hold the 82-76 advantage with 2:14 remaining in the third quarter. Santa Cruz would continue fighting and tie the score at 85-85 with 27.3 seconds to play in the third quarter. Los Angeles closed the quarter on a Jabari Brown layup to enter the final frame leading 87-85.

Santa Cruz would keep the score close in the fourth quarter until Los Angeles capitalized on an 11-2 run to take a 101-92 with 5:40 to play in the game. The D-Fenders would keep pace and hold a 113-103 advantage with exactly one minute remaining.

The Warriors would go on a 7-0 run in the final minute of the game behind four points from Aaron Craft to trail the D-Fenders 113-110 with 9.9 seconds to play. Los Angeles would never relinquish the lead in the final seconds of the game to earn a 114-110 victory over the Warriors.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will host the Delaware 87ers on March 13 at 6 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Fans can watch the game on the NBA D-League's YouTube channel, via www.santacruzbasketball.com.


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