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BrownÂ’s Scoring, BiasÂ’ Boards Lead Flight Over Riverdragons, 100-92

April 10, 2004 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga.—Damone Brown tallied a game-high 28 points and Rodney Bias collected an NBDL record with 22 rebounds as the Huntsville Flight used a strong second half comeback to overpower the Columbus Riverdragons in the final regular season game for both teams on Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center.

The Flight (24-22) will have the #3 seed in the upcoming 2004 NBDL-Delta Airlines Postseason Classic and will face the Charleston Lowgators at the North Charleston Coliseum in a semifinal matchup next weekend. The Riverdragons end the 2003-04 campaign with an 18-28 overall record.

The first half was all Columbus, as the Dragons took a 27-21 lead after one quarter and upped the advantage to as many as 14 points following a Derrick Bird lay-up that made it 59-45 with 9.1 seconds to play in the second period. Erick Barkley answered with a tough lay-in at the horn to bring the Flight back within twelve at the break, 59-47. Bias grabbed ten rebounds by halftime and Brown tallied 14 points at the break to keep the Huntsville in it. It would be a harbinger of things to come for the Dragons in the second half.

Down eleven, at 66-55 with 9:10 to play in the third following a Jeff Myers twelve-foot jumper, the Flight responded with a 12-0 run. Huntsville received lay-ups from Mateen Cleaves, Earl Barron, and Mateen Cleaves along with a fast break jam from Alex Scales to cut the deficit to one. The Flight then took the lead with 4:50 left in the period on a 13-foot jumper from Damone Brown that vaulted Huntsville in front, 67-66. Both teams would trade baskets over the final four minutes of the period, with Derrick Zimmerman hitting a free throw with 49 seconds remaining to tie it up at 73-apiece after three quarters. Overall, the Flight outscored the Dragons 26-14 in the period to climb back in it. Bias would claim another 6 boards in the third quarter to up his total to 16 after three periods.

Brown and Bias would be the difference in the fourth quarter for Huntsville. BrownÂ’s lay-up and two free throws with 6:51 remaining capped an 11-0 run to begin the fourth period as the Flight powered their way to an 84-73 advantage. The Dragons werenÂ’t done, however, as Jeff Myers hit a three-ball and three free throws over the next 4:08 to pace Columbus on a 15-6 run that brought the home team within two points at 90-88 with 2:43 to go in the game. But the Flight answered with a decisive 6-0 spurt to put the game out of reach. Brown registered back-to-back lay-ups and Barkley hit a driving lay-in with 1:23 left to up the Huntsville lead back to eight, at 96-88. Bias then collected his record setting rebound with 5.1 to play after a Sedric Webber miss to earn the new NBDL single-game rebounding record. His two free throws made it 100-92 to seal the victory.

Five players scored in double figures for the Flight. Along with BrownÂ’s 28, Scales posted 17 points on 7-18 shooting. Barkley and Bias both chipped in with twelve points apiece and Cleaves notched a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds in his second game back with the Huntsville following a Gatorade NBA Call-Up with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Overall, the Flight outscored the Dragons 53-33 in the second half to finish off the comeback.

Columbus was also led by five players in double figures, including a team-high 21 points from Myers. Zimmerman finished up a strong stretch run with a double-double of 14 points and ten assists to go along with eight rebounds and three steals. Terence Morris posted 14 points and eight rebounds, Courtney James earned his fourteenth double-double with twelve points and eleven rebounds, and Sedric Webber finished with 11 points for Columbus.

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