Kansas Takes Out Oklahoma for Second Straight Night
June 20, 2007 - United States Basketball League (USBL)
Kansas Cagerz News Release
Back to back games against the Oklahoma Storm yielded back to back wins as the Kansas Cagerz beat the Storm 96-92 on Wednesday night at the Bicentennial Center.
Jared Merrill hit a three to open the game with 11:35 left, but neither team could score until the 9:54 mark of the first when Marcus Campbell hit a pair of free throws to make it 3-2. Tony Bobbitt would drain a three on Oklahoma's next possession to put the Storm up four.
Kansas would score four straight points, all from Johnny Jackson to tie things up at 8-all with 8:16 left in the quarter. After another bucket by Bobbitt, Cleotis Brown would score sparking a 14-2 Kansas run to put the Cagerz up 10, 22-12 with 1:11 left.
The Cagerz would lead by seven in the second, on free throws by Nate Johnson with 2:33 left, before the Storm would cut the gap and would head into the half with a 40-38 lead with 12 seconds left on a three by Bobbitt, capping an 11-2 run.
Anthony Richardson would score to open the third with a bucket to tie it up at 40, as the Cagerz would open the second half with an 11-2 run of their own to go up 49-42 with 9:16 left.
Both teams would trade baskets back and forth until the Storm used a 5-1 run to get within four at the 2:50 mark on a bucket by Charles Ramsdell.
The Cagerz would quickly rally, leading by as many as 10, 67-57 with 42 seconds left in the quarter, and would lead 67-58 after three. Kansas outscored the Storm 29-18 in the quarter.
After scoring just 32 points in the entire second half last night, Oklahoma put 34 on the board in the fourth alone tonight, outscoring the Cagerz 34-29 in the quarter.
Steve Lepore would hit a three to give Kansas its biggest lead of 12 to open the fourth, and the Cagerz would hold the 12-point advantage twice more, the last time at the 9:53 mark on free throws by Anthony Johnson.
Oklahoma would fight back, outscoring the Cagerz 15-4 over the next six-plus minutes to get within three, 80-77 on a bucket by Tony Bobbitt. Richardson would hit one of two free throws as Kansas would go back up by as many as seven, 86-79, on a tip-in by Anthony Johnson with 2:15 left.
Bobbitt would hit a three to get the Storm back within three, but Kansas would hold on leading by seven with four seconds left on a Nate Johnson bucket before Tim Barnes would hit a three as time expired to make the final score 96-92.
Kansas improves its record back to .500 at 13-13, and were led by Richardson with 31, while Nate Johnson and Campbell had 14 each and Anthony Johnson had 11 as the Cagerz shot 33-of-75 from the field for 44 percent. Kansas dominated the rebounding, 55-40, led by Lee Benson with 13 and Campbell with 10.
Oklahoma was led by Bobbitt with 26, while Barnes had 15, Merrill had 12 and Nick Williams 11 for the Storm who shot 45.6 percent from the field on 36-of-79 shooting. George Leach had 12 rebounds to lead the Storm.
Kansas is off until Friday when they host in-state rival Dodge City in the Cagerz' final home game of the 2007 season at 7:00 inside the Bicentennial Center.
United States Basketball League Stories from June 20, 2007
- Kansas Takes Out Oklahoma for Second Straight Night - Kansas Cagerz
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