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Lowgators "Post" Comeback Victory Over Riverdragons, 81-78

January 29, 2004 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


FORT BENNING, Ga.—Rolan Roberts' scoop layup following a brilliant up-and-under move with 24 seconds to play lifted the Charleston Lowgators to a come-from-behind 81-78 victory over the Columbus Riverdragons in front of a standing-room-only crowd of 843 and a live national television audience at the Audie Murphy Gym on Thursday night. The game, played at U.S. Army Post, Fort Benning, was the first-ever professional basketball game played on a United States military installation located on American soil. The capacity crowd was entertained throughout the night by NBA Legends Artis Gilmore, Charlie Scott, Spencer Haywood, and Dan Roundfield, along with Atlantic Records recording artists Nappy Roots, who performed at halftime.

Gators point guard Jason Miskiri, stepping in for the departed Tierre Brown, who received a Gatorade NBA Call-up earlier this week from New Orleans, led all scorers with 18 points and six rebounds to give Charleston (16-6) its third straight victory and eighth in its last nine overall. Five Lowgators tallied double-figures in scoring as Charleston rebounded from a nine-point deficit at halftime to earn its fifth victory in six meetings with Columbus this season. The Riverdragons (6-17) were led by Nick Sheppard's 15 points and eight rebounds.

Columbus opened the contest with an 8-2 run, keyed by four points apiece from Kevin Lyde and Courtney James. Up 10-6 with 7:53 left in the period, the Dragons ran off an 11-4 spurt capped by a Derrick Bird three-pointer that gave Columbus a 21-10 advantage with 4:01 to go. Miskiri's four points over the final four minutes brought the Lowgators back within seven at the end of the first quarter, 26-19. Lyde and Miskiri led all scorers with seven points apiece in the period.

Charleston got within four twice in the second quarter, the second time on an Alpha Bangura fast break dunk with 4:48 left in the half that made it 34-30. But Columbus answered, outscoring the Lowgators 11-6 over the final four minutes to build the lead back to nine, 45-36 at the break. The Dragons finished the half with five consecutive lay-ups; two for Jeff Myers and one each for Tai Crutchfield, Terence Morris, and Sheppard.

The Lowgators got right back in it in the third quarter, as a Miskiri three capped off a 14-6 run over the first 6:49 of the quarter to cut the Columbus lead to just one, at 51-50. The Riverdragons built the advantage to four at 55-51 with 4:31 left on a Derrick Bird lay-in, but Charleston went on a 7-0 run over the next 2:33 to take a 58-55 lead. Damone Brown's three-pointer with 21 seconds remaining in the period gave the Gators a 62-61 advantage heading into the fourth period.

English's lay-up with 11:11 to play upped the Lowgators lead to four at 65-61 early in the fourth, but again Columbus fought back to take the lead. A 7-1 Dragons spurt finished off by two Bird free throws gave Columbus a 68-66 edge with 7:08 remaining. Lyde's jumper with 6:31 left gave Columbus its final lead at 70-68. An English jump shot, followed by a Karim Shabazz jump hook, and a Roberts free throw gave the Gators a 5-0 run and a 73-70 lead with 3:59 to go. The Dragons were still not done, forging a 78-78 tie with 40.2 seconds remaining after Sheppard hit two big free throws.

That set up the late-game heroics for Roberts, who with the shot clock running down, isolated on Courtney James and went to the up-and-under to come through with the game-winning lay-in with 24 seconds left. A Dragons turnover and one free throw from Roberts with two seconds left gave the Lowgators the victory.

Roberts and Bangura both finished with 14 points for Charleston. English and Brown tallied twelve and ten points respectively in the win. Crutchfield and Bird posted 13 points apiece for Columbus.

The Riverdragons will be back in action this Saturday, January 31 at Asheville Civic Center taking on the Altitude at 7:15 p.m.. Charleston continues its road swing on Saturday, taking on the Huntsville Flight at the Von Braun Center at 7:00 p.m. CST. For more information, contact Riverdragons Media Relations Manager Tim Becwar at (706) 225-1104 or e-mail him at tbecwar@nba.com.



NBA G League Stories from January 29, 2004


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