Comeback Falls Short in Armor's 124-112 Loss at Erie

Published on January 15, 2014 under NBA G League (G League)
Springfield Armor News Release


ERIE, Pa. - After rallying from as many as 22 down with 12 minutes to play, the Springfield Armor (5-14), presented by MGM Springfield, were unable to complete their valiant comeback effort in a 124-112 loss to the Erie BayHawks (6-13) inside Erie Insurance Arena Wednesday night.

The BayHawks raced out of the gates, holding the Springfield offense to just four points over the first four minutes as Erie tallied 15 to open up an 11-point lead at the 8:00 mark of the opening frame. The Armor rallied, using a 15-5 run to pull within just one four minutes later, but Erie exited the first quarter with a 34-27 lead.

Erie continued to build on its edge, pushing its lead as high as 19 five minutes into the second quarter at 48-31. Springfield's defense buckled down, holding the BayHawks to just 12 points through the final seven minutes of the quarter, while the offense sparked behind Justin Johnson who connected on seven straight points to end the half, including a running three-pointer at the buzzer to pull the Armor within three at 60-57.

Johnson and Willie Reed totaled game-highs of 12 points over the first 24 minutes, while Dennis Horner added 11 and Darius Johnson-Odom tallied 10 on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor. Both teams hit five treys in the first half, while Springfield shot a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe. Mustafa Shakur led the BayHawks with 12 points, the only player in double figures, but nine members contributed to the Erie offense.

After the Armor cut the BayHawks' lead to just one to start the third, Erie went on to outscore Springfield 35-14 the rest of the quarter, taking a 22-point lead into the fourth. Shakur racked up 10 points in the frame, while Terrence Jennings scored eight to give him 14 after three quarters. Horner entered the fourth with a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) despite being held scoreless in the third.

Springfield started strong in the final frame, using a 10-2 run over the first three minutes to pull within 14. Continuing to battle back, the Armor trimmed Erie's lead to single digits with just under five minutes to play in regulation and clawed within six at 113-107 after Larry Anderson's second three-pointer of the quarter with 3:19 left. Anderson finished the game with 14 points, all coming in the fourth quarter.

Trailing by eight with less than two minutes to play, the BayHawks were able to hold off the furious Springfield rush with a pair of clutch treys, finishing off the 124-112 victory.

Johnson and Reed each finished with 20 points, while Darius Johnson-Odom (18 points), Adonis Thomas (14 points), Horner (11 points) and Lance Hurdle (11 points) all reached double figure scoring totals. Springfield knocked down a season-high 13 three-pointers, going 13-for-21 from beyond the arc, but were outrebounded 55-37.

All nine BayHawks reached double digits in scoring, led by Shakur's 26 on a 10-of-15 effort from the field. The Armor led just one time on the night, taking a 2-0 lead 40 seconds into the game before the BayHawks reclaimed the advantage for the remainder of the evening.

Springfield will now return home to host the division-leading Canton Charge on Friday, January 17 at 7:00 p.m. inside the MassMutual Center. 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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NBA G League Stories from January 15, 2014


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