Patriots clinch playoff berth, beat Mobile
March 1, 2003 - NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
Omar Cook spent the whole night making sure his teammates hit big shots. But when it came time for the biggest shot of them all, Cook took it himself.
With 14.7 seconds remaining and with the shot clock running down, Cook hit a crucial 3-pointer that sealed a 97-93 win for the Fayetteville Patriots.
The shot also helped Fayetteville clinch a spot in the 2002-2003 NBDL Playoffs, which start later this month. The first-place Patriots are the first NBDL team to clinch.
Cook finished the night with 11 points and a season-high 15 assists. It was his 11th career double-double and it's the 15th time in his NBDL career he has had double-digit assists.
"Omar had a tremendous night,'' Patriots coach Jeff Capel said. "Of our 34 made shots, 26 of them were assisted, which is a good sign for us. Omar had a great night, but guys have to finish for him to get those assists."
The Revelers led by as many as 12 points in the first half as Derek Hood and Ernest Brown made their presence felt. Hood had a 12-point, nine-rebound first half, while Brown blocked five shots in the first half. An Omar Cook three and a Jeff Aubry dunk cut the Revelers lead to one before Hood's slam gave the Revelers a 50-47 halftime lead. But Hood would be held with a rebound and a basket in the second half, opening the door for the Patriots.
Despite Hood's absence, Mobile kept the Patriots at a distance until the fourth quarter when the Patriots took over on the offensive boards. The Patriots had five offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, highlighted by Bryan Lucas' offensive rebound and putback that gave Fayetteville a 92-90 lead with 41.7 seconds remaining.
Isaac Fontaine would then hit one of two free throws to cut Fayetteville's lead to one. It opened the door for Cook's heroics.
"They've got a certain amount of momentum because they've been winning, and they're riding it,'' Revelers coach Sam Vincent said. "I thought our guys played well though, we just have to keep on plugging until we get a win."
Devin Brown led Fayetteville with 18 points, Matt Barnes was 5-for-7 from 3-point range and finished with 17 and Jameel Watkins posted his fifth double-double of the season with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
The Patriots played without Jason Capel for the second straight game as he recovers from a back injury. They also played without Junie Sanders who missed the game due to personal reasons.
The Patriots (28-14) will now concentrate on getting homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. Three is the magic number to clinch homecourt for the Patriots. Meanwhile, the Revelers (19-21) are scratching to get the fourth and final playoff spot. They lead the Altitude and Riverdragons by half-game for the final spot. Mobile has lost eight straight games.
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