Patriots end five-game losing streak
February 27, 2004 - NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
Fayetteville Patriots coach Jeff Capel liked the Bryan Lucas he saw Friday night. He liked the Junie Sanders he saw. Most of all, he liked the effort he witnessed. The Patriots played inspired basketball against the first-place Charleston Lowgators to end a five-game losing streak with a 116-112 win.
Kenny Satterfield led six Patriots in double figures with 25 points and nine assists. Bryan Lucas (16 points/10 rebounds) and Jason Collier (18 points/10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles, while Britton Johnsen and Junie Sanders had 18 points and 17 points respectively.
"We were a unit tonight,'' Jeff Capel said. "I just thought we made plays when plays needed to be made. I liked what Jason Collier and Britton Johnsen gave us off the bench tonight.
"It was good seeing the old Bryan Lucas out there playing selfless ball and giving it his all. I hope that Bryan Lucas is here to stay. I just thought our concentration and focus was there tonight on both ends of the floor."
Capel met with each of his players individually on Wednesday. When he met with Sanders, Capel told Sanders he wanted to start him, but there was a condition attached. Sanders had to play defense. Sanders told Capel he could and would play defense.
"We have been falling behind by 10 or 12 points early,'' Jeff Capel said. "We thought instead of bringing Junie in to bail us out, why not let him help us get off to a fast start."
The move worked on both ends. Neither Charleston shooting guards â Alpha Bangura and Carl English â had standout games. And the Patriots, who are notorious for getting off to slow starts against Charleston, losing to the Lowgators by an average of 17.5 points this season, led by one at the half.
The Patriots led by eight, 108-100, with 2:54 remaining the game. But Tierre Brown capped off an 8-0 rally with a driving layup on Satterfield that tied the game at 108 with 1:16 to play. Satterfield got revenge immediately as he drove to the basket on Brown to give the Patriots a two-point lead on the next possession.
Brown did not back down. Ten seconds later, he tied the game at 110 with a runner. The two former NBA point guards weren't done battling each other. Satterfield drove to the basket again, but this time he missed. Collier grabbed the offensive board however, and scored, giving the Patriots a 112-110 lead.
After a Charleston timeout, Johnsen stole Chuck Eidson's inbounds pass and was fouled. Johnsen's two free throws put the Patriots up by four.
"I was proud of our guys for fighting back,'' Charleston coach Doug Marty said. "We wanted to get the ball into the hands of Tierre Brown. We felt like we had plenty of time to let him go hard to the basket. We just didn't execute the out-of-bounds play very well. But they were fighting hard out there and their guy made a huge play."
Damone Brown tried to keep the Lowgators in it as he hit a jumper with three seconds remaining. But Satterfield's ensuing two free throws sealed the win. Patriots' losing streak was their longest since December of 2001. They avoided losing four straight at home for the first time in their three-year history.
"I never felt were going to lose even when they made their comeback,'' Jeff Capel said. "I told the guys when they came to bench after they tied it that we were going to win this game. We played to well to lose this game tonight."
Brown led the Lowgators with 25 points. Damone Brown added 20, while Ime Udoka had 16 points and six rebounds. The same two teams go out tonight, this time in Charleston. Game time is 7 p.m.
• Discuss this story on the NBA G League message board...
NBA G League Stories from February 27, 2004
- Second Half Surge Lift Dragons To Win Over Altitude - Columbus Riverdragons
- Patriots end five-game losing streak - Fayetteville Patriots
- Roanoke Falls to Flight 94-85 - Roanoke Dazzle
- Haywood County basketball fans share a night with the Altitude - Asheville Altitude
- Trail Blazers sign Cook to mult-year deal - Fayetteville Patriots
- Charleston's Fuller Signs with Hawks, is 9th Gatorade Callup - G League
- Lowgators In First Place - Charleston Lowgators
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
