Majic Improve to 3-0
May 2, 2005 - World Basketball Association (WBA)
Gwinnett Majic News Release
CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The Cleveland Majic ended their first home stand as a World Basketball Association team with a 3-0 record by winning two games this past weekend at Cleveland State Community College.
The Majic won 134-124 over the Kentucky Reach on Saturday night and 121-105 over the Magic City Court Kings from Birmingham on Sunday. Cleveland plays the Rome Gladiators at Shorter College this Thursday at 7 p.m., and Rome also could be 3-0. The Gladiators have 131-88 and 133-109 wins over Magic City and Kentucky and host the Reach on Tuesday.
Rome visits Cleveland for a 7 p.m. game next Monday.
Pierre Wooten had 24 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and three steals for the Majic on Saturday, when Dontae Truitt scored 23 points. Sunday, Truitt had 33 points and 11 rebounds and Nick Wallery added 21 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Wooten and Rogers Washington scored 16 and 14 points.
Johnny Goodman from Chattanooga totaled 25 points in the two games for Cleveland.
Truitt scored 13 points as the Majic rallied from an 8-4 deficit to lead 35-22 after the first quarter Sunday, and his return to the lineup late in the second quarter helped push the margin to 54-46 after the Birmingham team cut the gap to two points during a span of almost five minutes without a point for the home team.
Wallery, who had 13 points Saturday night, started the second half Sunday for coach Rick Hughes, who said the former Albany (Ga.) State standout probably kept the Majic ahead late in the first half with his heads-up play and effectiveness on the backboards and follow shots. Another ex-Albany State player, Flem Tucker, had 12 points and five assists backing up Wooten on Saturday and gave the former Winthrop star even more rest Sunday, adding seven assists and nine points.
Truitt, who averaged 33.7 points and 9.6 rebounds in his 18 games for Georgia Southwestern this past college season, took over the Majic scoring lead with 26 points a game. Wooten is averaging 22.7.
"I just go out and play ball," said Truitt, a Baltimore product who played junior college ball at Sheridan in Wyoming and went to Kentucky Wesleyan before transferring to Georgia Southwestern in Lee University's league.
"I think I can score the ball real good," he added. "I have a lot of confidence in myself, and I have a lot of confidence in these other guys. And I think they have confidence in me.
"One thing helping us right now is we have a lot of people who can score and do other things, and we all get along good - off and on the court. We have developed chemistry in a short period of time. We still need a little more time to really jell and know what everyone can do, but we're getting to that point."
For more information on the Majic, call Randy Evans at (423) 284-5121.
Saturday
CLEVELAND 134, KENTUCKY 124
Kentucky 22 40 23 39 - 124
Cleveland 38 25 30 41 - 134
Kentucky Reach (0-4)
Jared McCurry 3-10 0-0 7, George Baker 4-7 4-4 13, Lamar Rice 9-20 4-4 22,Chris Shumate 9-21 2-3 22, Josh Grant 4-5 8-8 16, James Brewer 11-18 9-9 33,Terrell Ross 3-8 0-0 6, Marshall Sanders 1-1 3-3 5, Larry Haralson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 44-92 30-31 124.
Cleveland Majic (2-0)
Dontae Truitt 9-14 3-4 23, Rogers Washington 5-11 3-3 13, Abe Keita 0-1 0-0 0, Pierre Wooten 5-12 13-16 24, Damon Garris 6-8 4-6 16, Steve Thomas 1-3 7-8 9, Johnny Goodman 6-12 0-0 15, Nick Wallery 4-12 5-6 13, Flem Tucker 4-5 4-5 12, Chima Abakwue 3-9 0-0 9, Lou Wright 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 43-88 39-48 134.
3-point shooting - Reach 6-19 (Shumate 2-7, Brewer 2-5, McCurry 1-4, Baker 1-2, Rice 0-1); Majic 9-28 (Abakwue 3-9, Goodman 3-5, Truitt 2-7, Wooten 1-4, Washington 0-1, Garris 0-1, Wright 0-1). Rebounds - Reach 43 (Shumate 10, Rice 9, Grant 7); Majic 54 (Washington 10, Wooten 10, Thomas 8). Assists - Reach 11 (McCurry 3); Majic 16 (Wooten 7, Tucker 5, Washington 4); Steals - Reach 0; Magic 7 (Wooten 3, Truitt 2, Thomas 2). Blocked shots - Reach 7 (Shumate 2, Grant 2); Majic 1 (Thomas). Total fouls - Reach 31; Majic 27. Fouled out - None.
Sunday
CLEVELAND 121, MAGIC CITY 105
Magic City 22 24 32 27 - 105
Cleveland 35 19 37 30 - 121
Magic City Court Kings (1-3)
Donny Calton 3-7 6-6 12, Kenyon Gamble 3-9 5-8 11, Brandon Robinson 4-11 6-8 14, Anthony Kyle 6-7 1-2 14, Chris Weakly 4-13 2-2 10, Danny Anderson 8-24 5-6 22, Brian Craig 1-3 1-2 3, A.J. Stallworth 2-7 3-4 7, Anthony Hayes 5-5 2-2 12. Totals 36-86 31-40 105.
Cleveland Majic (3-0)
Dontae Truitt 12-23 7-8 33, Rogers Washington 7-12 0-0 14, Steve Thomas 3-5 1-2 7, Pierre Wooten 5-11 6-7 16, Damon Garris 1-7 5-5 7, Abe Keita 0-0 2-2 2, Nick Wallery 6-11 9-11 21, Johnny Goodman 4-9 1-2 10, Flem Tucker 3-4 3-5 9, Chima Abakwue 0-2 0-0 0, Lou Wright 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 42-88 34-42 121.
3-point shooting - Kings 2-18 (Anderson 1-9, Kyle 1-1, Weakly 0-3, Robinson 0-3, Calton 0-1, Stallworth 0-1); Majic 3-12 (Truitt 2-4, Goodman 1-5, Abakwue 0-2, Washington 0-1). Rebounds - Kings 49 (Gamble 8, Calton 7, Weakly 6, Anderson 6); Majic 54 (Wallery 12, Truitt 11, Garris 5). Assists - Kings 9 (Calton 3, Weakly 3); Majic 16 (Tucker 7, Wooten 4). Steals - Kings 3; Majic 8 (Truitt 2). Blocked shots - Kings 9 (Gamble 6); Majic 6 (Keita 2). Total fouls - Kings 32; Majic 31. Fouled out - Calton.
World Basketball Association Stories from May 2, 2005
- Majic Improve to 3-0 - Gwinnett Majic
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