Springfield Clipped by Erie, 122-119
March 3, 2014 - NBA G League (G League)
Springfield Armor News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - After clawing back from 14 points down, a last-ditch effort to tie the game at the buzzer fell short as the Springfield Armor (16-22), presented by MGM Springfield, were edged by the Erie BayHawks (12-26) by a final score of 122-119 Monday night inside the MassMutual Center.
Erie shot out of the gates with a blistering 75 percent from the field in the first quarter on its way to a 37-33 advantage entering the second. The Armor were able to get to the line often, knocking down all seven attempts from the charity stripe as guard Larry Anderson went 5-for-5, but the freebie efficiency wasn't enough to escape an early hole.
The BayHawks cooled in the second half, but not by much as Erie ended the half shooting 69 percent and holding a 73-67 lead. Springfield battled back, falling behind by as many as 14 before closing on a 7-0 run to pull within six. Armor forwards Devin Ebanks and Willie Reed led all scorers at the break with 15 apiece, but four of the five BayHawk starters reached double figures, while the Erie bench went 8-for-8 from the field for a 17-11 edge over the Springfield reserves.
Springfield roared back in the second half, tying the game at 103 with just over six minutes remaining in the fourth. From that point forward, the score never wavered by more than four points until the final minute when the BayHawks were able to open up a 118-113 margin. The Armor once again clawed back, pulling within one point at 120-119 after one of three treys by Darius Johnson-Odom with 40 seconds to play.
Erie's defense clamped down over the final 30 seconds, forcing an Anderson turnover that led to a pair of free throws from Lewis Jackson with eight seconds remaining, his two biggest points of a 27-point performance. The Armor hoisted a final attempt at the buzzer, but L.D. Williams' 26-footer as time expired fell just shy as the BayHawks held on for the 122-119 victory.
Along with Lewis' 27, Scott Suggs also poured in 27 on 9-of-16 shooting as the BayHawks hit 61 percent of their shots from the field. Erie edged Springfield in the rebounding facet 38-35 and outran the Armor on fast break points, 20-10.
Reed finished with a season-high 29 points, while Ebanks (26 points) and Johnson-Odom (20 points) each eclipsed the 20-point plateau, the first loss by the Armor when putting three players past the 20-point threshold (3-1).
The Armor will start a four-game road trip Saturday with a 1:00 p.m. tip against the Canton Charge in Ohio. For more information on the Armor, visit www.ArmorHoops.com or call (413) 746-3263. Keep up with the Armor on Facebook and Twitter !
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