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G League Santa Cruz Warriors

Warriors Rally Late to Close out the Suns

December 30, 2016 - NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release


SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The Santa Cruz Warriors (10-8) defeated the Northern Arizona Suns (10-7) 115-108 on Thursday night in front of a fifteenth consecutive sellout crowd at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

Dennis Clifford led all scorers with a second-consecutive double-double, finishing with 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Warriors. Elgin Cook came off the bench to record a double-double, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Phil Pressey added 25 points, going 7-of-11 from beyond-the-arc. During his first assignment in Santa Cruz, Golden State rookie guard Patrick McCaw scored 15 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists in 38 minutes.

The Suns received a solid performance from Johnny O'Bryant III, who finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Josh Gray (16 points, 10 assists) and Derek Cooke Jr. (10 points, 10 rebounds) also recorded double-doubles, while Askia Booker contributed 21 points.

The quarter opened with tightly-contested play from both teams, as Santa Cruz and Northern Arizona jumped out to hot-shooting starts (68.4% - 50%). Santa Cruz would go on a 13-0 run in the final 2:55 of the opening frame to give the hosts a 15-point advantage heading into the second quarter.

The sharp-shooting would continue through the second quarter for the Suns, complete with 56% team-shooting, en route to outscoring Santa Cruz 38-20 in the frame. A three-point shot from Xavier Silas at the 1:07 mark would give Northern Arizona their first lead of the night to enter the break with a 59-56 advantage.

The Suns opened the second half on an 11-2 run to open their lead to 13 points. The Warriors would respond with a run of their own, making it a two-possession game by the 4:03 mark in the third.

Still trailing at the start of the final frame, Warriors healthy team shooting (57.9%) helped the hosts re-claim the lead by the 6:20 mark of the fourth. The momentum remained with Santa Cruz as they captured their third win against the Northern Arizona Suns in two weeks.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will host the Grand Rapids Drive on Friday, Jan. 6 at 8:00 p.m. PST at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Fans can catch the game on ESPNU or view the live-stream on WatchESPN.

Santa Cruz Warriors tickets can be purchased at the Santa Cruz Warriors headquarters at 903 Pacific Avenue, online at www.santacruzbasketball.com or over the phone at (831) 713-4400.

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