Flight Upend Columbus 69-66 Tuesday Afternoon
December 24, 2002 - NBA G League (G League)
Huntsville Flight News Release
COLUMBUS, GA. (Dec. 24) â Bakari Hendrix collected a game-high 25 points including the go-ahead basket with 46.5 seconds left to lift Huntsville to a 69-66 victory over the Columbus Riverdragons in NBDL action here Tuesday afternoon at the Columbus Civic Center.
The Flight (10-7) snapped a two-game losing streak with road victory, while the Riverdragons (7-8) lost for the third time in four tries to Huntsville this season.
Hendrix notched his second double-double of the season as he added 10 rebounds to his season-high point total. Eric Chenowith added 13 points in the contest while Flight newcomer Jermaine Walker - who was traded Monday from Columbus for Greg Stempin - added 10 points.
The Flight also got a game-high 11 rebounds from starting point guard Demetric Shaw, who took over the duties following the departure of Mike Wilks. Wilks signed with the Atlanta Hawks earlier in the day.
Nate Johnson paced the Riverdragons with 16 points, while Tang Hamilton added 12 and Nate Green 11.
The Flight trailed 66-64 with 1:02 to play when Nate Johnson was called for an offensive foul. Johnson was then assessed a technical foul for his displeasure over the previous call that allowed the Flight to cut the gap to one as Lonnie Harrell buried a free throw.
Hendrix then added the winning basket just 16 seconds later and Harrell added some insurance with 22.5 seconds left with two more foul shots.
After jumping out to a 19-14 lead after the opening quarter, the Flight got outscored 22-10 in the second quarter to fall behind 36-29 at the half. Huntsville was down by just four at the end of three quarters, 51-47, before scoring the first two buckets of the fourth quarter by Shaw and Hendrix to tie the game at 51.
Columbus then rallied for nine straight points to take a 60-51 lead with under seven minutes to play before the Flight rallied to outscore the home squad 18-6 the rest of the way.
The Flight converted 25-of-29 free throws for the game for 86.2 percent while Columbus converted just 14-of-26 for 53.8 percent.
Huntsville returns home for the first of three straight home games Friday, when they take on Mobile in a 7:30 p.m. contest at the Von Braun Center.
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NBA G League Stories from December 24, 2002
- Flight Takes Down Columbus in Fourth - Columbus Riverdragons
- Flight Upend Columbus 69-66 Tuesday Afternoon - Huntsville Flight
- Atlanta Hawks Sign Huntsville Guard Mike Wilks - G League
- Roanoke Shoots out the Lights - G League
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