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Dragons Fend Off Pesky Patriots For Tenth Straight Victory

January 1, 2005 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga.— Jeff Myers scored a game-high 13 points as five Riverdragons scored in double figures to lead Columbus to an 89-80 win over the Fayetteville Patriots on Saturday night at the Columbus Civic Center. With the victory, the Dragons (12-1) won their tenth game in a row and eighth straight at home to open the 2004-05 NBDL season. Columbus now owns the best start in NBDL history after 13 games, surpassing the North Charleston Lowgators who opened the 2001-02 campaign with an 11-2 mark. Fayetteville dropped its third game in a row and fell to 2-13 overall with the loss.

Both squads struggled offensively, as Columbus knocked down 41% (34-83) of its shots while the Patriots connected on 36% (30-83) of theirs. For the seventh time in the last eight games, the Riverdragons held their opponent to under 40% shooting from the floor.

Fayetteville opened the contest with a 6-0 run over the first 2:15 of the opening period, but Columbus responded with a 6-0 spurt of their own to tie things at six apiece with 8:31 remaining in the quarter. The two clubs would trade rare baskets over the final eight minutes of the period as the Dragons and Patriots ended the quarter tied up at 19 apiece. The Riverdragons hit nine of 26 shots in the quarter while Fayetteville knocked down six of 16 shots to set the tone for the low scoring, defensive affair. Columbus and Fayetteville had balanced scoring attacks in the quarter with five players registering in the scoring column for both sides. Obinna Ekezie had six points for Columbus, while David Young led Fayetteville with six points of his own.

Both teams hit their stride offensively in the second quarter, as Columbus outscored Fayetteville in the period 28-23 to take a five point lead into the locker room at halftime. The Patriots heated up behind seven points in the period from Ousmane Cisse and hit nine of 17 from the floor collectively. But Columbus answered with nine second quarter points from Jeff Myers, and the Dragons hit 10 of their 18 shots to gain the advantage at the break, 47-42.

The Riverdragons took control in the third quarter led by Derrick Zimmerman and Adam Harrington who combined for 12 points in the stanza. Up by just three points, 47-44, following a Fayetteville fast break lay-in from Ernest Brown with 11:36 remaining in the period, Columbus turned to Zimmerman and Harrington for an offensive boost. Zimmerman had three lay-ups and Harrington hit a jumper and three free throws to propel the Dragons on a 26-12 run over the next nine minutes, giving the Dragons a 17-point cushion, at 73-56, with 58 seconds left in the quarter. The Patriots got three free throws from Omar Cook in the final minute to cut the Columbus advantage to 14 points, 73-59, heading into the fourth quarter.

Mike King would keep Fayetteville in it down the stretch, scoring 10 points in the final period. A King fast break lay-in would get the Patriots within seven points, at 81-74, with 5:58 to play. Columbus answered with back-to-back buckets from Ekezie and Reed Rawlings to up the lead back to 12 with 3:57 to go. Fayetteville made one final push down the stretch, as a Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje lay-up with 1:45 remaining brought the Patriots within six points, at 86-80. Those would be the last points Fayetteville would score in the game, as the Patriots missed their final six field goal attempts and the Riverdragons got free throws from Myers and Ekezie to seal the win for Columbus.

Along with Myers, the Riverdragons had four other players in double figures, as Ekezie, Harrington, Ricky Minard, and Scott Merritt all tallied twelve points apiece. Fayetteville placed five players in double figures led by a team-high 12 points from Cisse, Young, and King. Cisse also grabbed 17 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Former Riverdragon Tang Hamilton and Ernest Brown ended the night with 10 points apiece.

The first-place Riverdragons return to action this upcoming Thursday, January 6 at the Columbus Civic Center with a return match-up against Fayetteville at 7:00 p.m. EST. Fayetteville returns to action on Sunday, January 2, with a 5:00 p.m. EST tip-off back at the Crown Coliseum versus the Florida Flame. For more information, log onto nbdl.com.

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