Hauser Leads Maine Celtics to Season-Opening Win
November 5, 2021 - NBA G League (G League)
Maine Celtics News Release
COLLEGE PARK, GA - The Maine Celtics, presented by Unum, got crucial buckets down the stretch from Sam Hauser to put away the College Park Skyhawks and win the season opener, 116-103.
Maine (1-0) was led by Hauser, who scored 15 of his game-high 27 points in the 4th quarter, helping to put the game away after the Skyhawks had erased a 19-point deficit. Luke Kornet was near a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks. Theo Pinson added 15 points for Maine, while Chris Clemons and Jaysean Paige each scored 13 points off the bench. Ryan Arcidiacono added a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Juwan Morgan added 12 points in the win.
College Park (0-1) was led by DaQuan Jeffries with 25 points and Sherife Cooper with 23 points.
Hauser scored the first bucket in Maine Celtics history, a 15-footer off the opening possession. The Skyhawks and Celtics would trade buckets early - Arcidiacono dropped in a triple to even the score at 12. The Skyhawks would go on a run - Sharife Cooper's bucket gave College Park a 25-21 lead. Chris Clemons' pull-up jumper would give Maine a 27-26 lead after 1.
In the 2nd, Morgan's fast-break bucket put Maine up 3. Kornet buried a corner three to make it 37-34 Celtics, and followed it up with a big block on the defensive end. The Maine lead swelled to 5, but College Park responded. Cooper scored 4 points from the free throw line, but Kornet made it a 48-44 lead the other way. Kenny Wooten Jr. rocked the rim, and Hauser's reverse lay-up extended the lead. Arcidiacono buried a triple at the end of the half to give the Celtics a 57-48 lead at the break. Hauser, Kornet Arcidiacono and Pinson all scored 9 points in the half, which saw Maine shoot 44.2% (19-43) from the floor and 38.1% (8-21) from three-point range. Maine held College Plark to just 37.8% (17-45) from the field and 17.8% (3-17) from beyond the arc in the half.
Hauser opened the 3rd quarter with a deep three. Hauser fed Kornet for the reverse slam to put Maine up 12. Clemons followed that up with a transition three, then Kornet a three of his own - the 10-0 run put the Celtics up 72-54. Wooten's alley-oop put Maine up 19, but DaQuan Jeffries stopped the run with a quick three. Cat Barber cut it to 12 at 77-65. Jordan Sibert's three got it back to single digits, and when the dust settled on the period, Maine led 81-73 after 3.
In the 4th, Ibi Watson-Boye opened up the scoring with a quick triple. In the blink of an eye, the Skyhawks erased the 19-point deficit, but Jaysean Paige's contested lay-up stopped the run. Morgan's hoop and the foul put Maine back up 6 at 88-82 and Hauser's triple got the Celtics back up 9. The teams traded buckets with Maine maintaining a lead. Hauser knocked in his 4th three of the night to make it 98-90 Maine with just over 3:00 to go. Hauser then made a three-point free throw and followed that up with another three to extend the lead. Kornet's presence inside put the game away. Hauser added one more exclamation point to ice it.
Maine shot 49.4% (39-79) from the field, 41% (16-39) from three-point range, and 14-19 from the free throw line. College Park shot 42.2% (38-90) from the floor, 33.3% (13-39) from downtown, and 8-10 from the charity stripe.
Maine and College Park return to action on Sunday when the two square off for a rematch at 2pm. The Celtics return to the Portland Expo for their home opener on Friday, Nov. 12. Tickets are on sale now by visiting MaineCeltics.com.
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