Patriots Hold on to Slim First-Place Lead
Published on February 8, 2003 under NBA G League (G League)
Fayetteville Patriots News Release
The Patriots have a tendency of grabbing double-digit leads and letting them dwindle away in order to give the opponent a chance to send the game into overtime. The last two nights, the Patriots have been able to halt playing in the extra period.
Huntsville guard Brandon Williams had his 10-footer in the lane bounce off the rim with 6.2 seconds remaining in the game as the Fayetteville Patriots improved to 3-0 against the Flight this season with a 78-76 win at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville.
The same occurrence happened Friday night in Asheville. The Altitude fought back from a 15-point lead, only to have its last second shot bounce off the rim. With the slim victories, the Patriots held on to their slim half-game lead over Mobile who was a winner Saturday night.
"We came up big stops,'' said Patriots coach Jeff Capel. "We just found a way to gut it out."
The big stops late came courtesy of Jeff Aubry, who leads the team in blocked shots, and who had three blocks on Saturday.
With 1:30 remaining in the game, Aubry blocked a Lonnie Harrell layup attempt to keep the Flight at a distance. A minute later with the Patriots up just two, Aubry blocked a Williams layup attempt that would have tied the game.
"I try not to foul first of all,'' Aubry said. "Second of all I just try to get a piece of it.. I don't have to punch it into the stands to make a good play. If I can get a piece of it and kick it out then we can get it started."
Capel said Aubry makes blocks that are not meant to excite people, they're meant to keep the ball in play. Along with his three blocks, Aubry added 10 points and eight rebounds. Devin Brown and Omar Cook both had 12 points.
The Patriots led by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter. With Huntsville down eight with 5:46 remaining, the Flight went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to two. After Brown's jumper increased it the lead to four, Williams' two free throws sliced it two with 1:13 remaining. But Aubry's block and Williams' miss helped the Patriots be victorious.
"You can't beat anyone turning the ball over 21 times,'' Huntsville coach Ralph Lewis.. "
We were digging ourselves out of a hole for three quarters. That's not a good situation to be in."
Harrell led the Flight with 17 points and four assists. Rodney Bias had a game-high 12 rebounds.
NBA G League Stories from February 8, 2003
- Patriots Hold on to Slim First-Place Lead - Fayetteville Patriots
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