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Late Surge Not Enough for Nighthawks

December 14, 2004 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Maryland NightHawks News Release


Upper Marlboro, MD. The ABA Maryland Nighthawks were not able to sustain a furious comeback as the Philadelphia Fusion outlasted Maryland 105-94 at the Show Place Arena and stopped the Nighthawks winning streak at four.

After being down 81-58 after three periods, the Nighthawks came storming back with a 24-5 run, and shaving the Fusion lead to 86-82 with 4 minutes left in the game. Newly acquired point guard Brian Chase led the comeback with 19 points. Shooting guard Jamal Shivers also chipped in with 19 and more importantly came up with 4 second half steals, which led to 5 extra "3-D" points, as teams in ABA play are awarded extra points for converting baskets after stealing the ball in the opposing team's back court. Randy Gill also ignited the charge with 3 three-pointers and finishing the game with 17 points.

The effort was not enough as Fusion star and former Syracuse standout Lawrence Moten made 2 clutch jumpers and hit 4 free throws down the stretch to give Philadelphia a 105-94 victory. Moten finished the game with 31 points. But it was the defense and rebounding that really made the difference for Philadelphia as they took advantage of the Robinson injury by dominating the boards with a 64-39 advantage. "I was pleased with our defense, as it's our goal to force teams to take bad shots and not give them second chances," explained Philadelphia head coach and former Georgetown standout Jarrin Jackson. The strategy worked as Philadelphia held Maryland to only 29% shooting in the first half. Philadelphia forward Mike Robinson and center Burgess Williams grabbed 10 rebounds each.

The loss ends a win streak of 4 for the Nighthawks and puts their record at 5-3. The next home game is Sunday, Dec 19 at 4PM at Show Place Arena. For more information, contact Rich Bernstein at 202 412 4796 or visit www.marylandnighthawks.com or www.abalive.com.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.



American Basketball Association Stories from December 14, 2004


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