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Riverdragons Clinch 2004-05 NBDL Regular Season Crown

April 7, 2005 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga.— Ramel Curry tallied a game-high 20 points, including the game-winning lay-up with 4.4 seconds left, as the Columbus Riverdragons clinched the 2004-05 NBDL regular season title on Thursday night with a 79-77 victory over the Fayetteville Patriots at the Columbus Civic Center. With the win, Columbus earns the No. 1 seed and homecourt advantage throughout the upcoming 2005 NBDL Championship Tournament presented by Delta Airlines.

Following a last place finish a year ago, the Riverdragons completed their "worst to first" turnaround with the NBDL's top defense during the 2004-05 campaign. Thursday's contest was no different, as Columbus again used a suffocating defensive effort to pull out the victory, holding Fayetteville to 77 points and 34% shooting from the field.

"We toughed it out; it seems like we do that these days," said Riverdragons head coach Jeff Malone. "I'm really happy for the guys. We have a great group of young men in our locker room. But we still have work to do. Our next step is to get the win on Saturday, play well in the playoffs and work to bring a postseason championship to Columbus."

Curry's game-winning lay-in culminated a wild fourth quarter which saw the Riverdragons take an 11-point lead with 7:49 left, only to see the Patriots make a furious rally to tie it in the waning moments.

Up by three points, 57-54, to start the fourth quarter, Columbus opened the period with an 11-3 run capped by a Curry lay-up with 7:49 to play that boosted the Dragons to a 68-57 advantage. But the Patriots would not go away in the final three-and-a-half minutes. Following a Reed Rawlings lay-in that upped the Columbus advantage to nine points, 76-67, the Patriots went to work. Free throws from Omar Cook, Ousmane Cisse, Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje, and David Young combined with baskets from Tang Hamilton and Mike King brought Fayetteville all the way back to tie it at 77-apiece. Young hit two free throws with 26.6 seconds left to knot the score for the Patriots, setting up the game-winning heroics for Curry.

With the shot clock running down, Curry turned the corner off of a Randy Orr screen at the top of the key to get free down the lane, elevate over the defense, and throw the high-arching scoop shot off the glass for the go-ahead basket with 4.4 seconds to play.

The Patriots would have a final chance to tie it or win the contest in regulation, but Cook's 21-foot jumper with one second left was short, allowing LeRoy Hurd to grab the rebound and send Columbus to its first-ever regular season title. With the victory, the Riverdragons swept the season series with the Fayetteville, going a perfect 9-0 versus the Patriots during the campaign.

The Riverdragons finished with four players in double figures. Along with Curry's game-high total, Rawlings posted 19 points, Ben Adams notched 13 points off the bench, and Orr finished with 12 in the victory. Fayetteville had five players in double figures. King tallied a team-high 15 points, while Cisse and Young both notched 14 points. Hamilton finished with 13 points and nine rebounds, and Cook scored 12 in the loss. Cisse also tallied 11 rebounds in the contest for his eight double-double of the season

The Dragons finish out their 2004-05 regular season schedule versus the Roanoke Dazzle this Saturday, April 9 at the Columbus Civic Center. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. on Fan Appreciation Night as the first 500 kids will receive a free Riverdragons kids jersey. The Patriots round out their regular season schedule at home on Saturday, hosting the Florida Flame at the Crown Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.. For more information, log onto nbdl.com.

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