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Riverdragons Game Notes

December 27, 2002 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


Hitting the Road

Perhaps a trip to Mobile is just what the Riverdragons need. The Riverdragons have dropped their last two meetings with Revelers, both at the Columbus Civic Center. The Riverdragons only victory over Sam Vincent's crew this season came in Mobile, 86-69, back on November 17. The Riverdragons have won two of their last three road games and are 4-4 overall away from Columbus.

Edgerson Is One Tough Big

Power forward Eugene Edgerson has set the tone on the glass for Mobile against Columbus. The former University of Arizona role player is averaging 10.3 rpg – 2.6 rpg higher than his season average (7.7 rpg) – in three games against the Riverdragons this season. Edgerson has also pulled down 13 offensive rebounds against Columbus. Overall, the Revelers have out-rebound the Riverdragons 121-109 three games while taking an early 2-1 series lead.

Three is Enough

Saturday's game is the first of three straight the Riverdragons play in as many nights – a team first. The Riverdragons close the year with two sets of back-to-back games thanks to the unusual scheduling hat-trick. The Riverdragons face Mobile on both ends, opening the three game-stretch Saturday in Mobile and closing it against the Revelers Monday in Columbus. The Riverdragons host Roanoke Sunday night (Dec. 29) in Columbus, providing the filling for their three-game delight.

Got The Point(s)

Unless a call-up or two occurs, Saturday's game at Mobile should showcase the only two players to lead the league in scoring since Nov. 17: the league's leading scorer – Nate Johnson (18.7 ppg) – and the Reveler currently tied for second, Bobby Simmons (17.1 ppg). It was Simmons who held the top spot from Nov. 17-20 before Johnson took over the scoring lead on Nov.21. Johnson has led he NBDL in scoring uninterrupted ever since and led the Riverdragons in scoring nine times in 15 games. Simmons dropped a team season-high 33 points on the Riverdragons in the teams' first meeting of the season, a 86-69 Riverdragons victory at the Mobile Civic Center Nov. 17.

Fontaine of Points

Also on display Saturday night in Mobile will be last season's scoring champion, Mobile's Isaac Fontaine. Fontaine, who missed all of training camp this year, has begun the year slowly averaging 6.5 ppg in 12 games – just under 11 ppg less than his league leading totals (17.4 ppg) from 2001-02.. Fontaine, however, did manage to put together his best game of this season against Columbus, scoring a season-high 14 points (hitting 2-of-3 three-pointers) in the Revelers 88-80 win in the teams' previous meeting Dec. 13 at the Civic Center.

Fourth Quarter Blues

The Riverdragons fourth quarter struggles were evident in Tuesday's heart-breaking defeat to Huntsville, in which Columbus was out-scored 13-4 in final five minutes of the game. The Riverdragons are 4-5 this season when they are out-scored in the fourth quarter. The Riverdragons quarter of choice is the third, posting a 5-2 record when they out-score their opponents in the third frame.

Pass It Around

Last Sunday, the Riverdragons tied a league record logging 28 assists in their 93-81 victory over the Groove. The Riverdragons benefit from being generous, going 6-3 this season when the post more assists than their opponents.

Riverdragons Pick Up Stempin

6-foot-8 forward Greg Stempin made his Riverdragons debut Tuesday night, posting 4 points and 1 rebound over 12 minutes. The Riverdragons acquired Stempin from the Flight Monday in exchange for forward Jermaine Walker. Also making his debut with his new team against his old team, Walked had 10 points and 4 rebounds in the Flight's 69-66 victory. Stempin averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in nine games for the Flight. Walker averaged 9.0 points and 3.1 rebounds in 13 games for the Riverdragons.

I Know You

The Riverdragons are quite familiar with Stempin, who dropped a then-NBDL record 36 points on Columbus March 22 of last season in the Riverdragons 82-76 victory over the Patriots. Current Fayetteville guard Devin Brown, who scored 38 points against North Charleston earlier this month, has since broken that record. Stempin's mark, however, still stands as the most points a single player has scored against the Riverdragons in the team's short history.

Riverdragons Wheeling and Dealing

Stempin is the fourth player added to the Riverdragons roster in less than a month. The rapid player movement is not unusual for Riverdragons head coach Jeff Malone. Last season, just three Riverdragons played the entire 2001-02 season in Columbus. Since Dec. 4 this season, the Riverdragons have acquired Stempin, Nate Green (Dec. 22), Tyrone Washington (Dec. 11) and Eric Williams (Dec. 3). Currently with nine players, the Riverdragons are expected to fill their tenth roster spot soon.

NBDL Experience

With Stempin and Green on board, six of the Riverdragons 10 players were on NBDL rosters last season. Stempin finished fourth in the league in scoring with Fayetteville and Green started 31 games for N. Charleston in 2001-02 The Riverdragons have a league-high four returning players on their roster including forwards Tang Hamilton and Sean Daugherty and guards Nate Johnson and Saul Smith.

Riverdragons Acquire Nate Green

Adding some size to backcourt, the Riverdragons acquired 6-foot-5 point guard Nate Green Sunday morning. Green played one minute in his Riverdragons debut against Greenville Sunday night but is expected to see more minutes at the point Tuesday against Huntsville. This is Green's second tour of duty in the NBDL. Among the final cuts of the Indiana Pacers this year, Green averaged 6.1 points and 4.1 assists for the Lowgators last season. His 2001-02 assists total was good enough for fourth in the NBDL.

Gone Camping

With the addition of Nate Green, the 2002-03 Riverdragons currently have four players who participated in NBA vet camps this October including forwards Tang Hamilton (Memphis), Jermaine Walker (Orlando) and Sean Daugherty (Sacramento) and Green (Indiana). Oddly enough, Nate Johnson, the league's leading scorer since Nov.21 was not invited to an NBA vet camp this October. Johnson did participate with in the 76ers free agent mine-camp over the summer along with teammate Tang Hamilton.

Seeing Double

Tang Hamilton continues to make opposing defenses see double, posting eight double-doubles just fifteen games into the season. Hamilton's double-doubles have come in bunches. He started the season with three straight double-double performances and has posted doubles-doubles in five of his last seven games. Last season, Mobile's Derek Hood led the league in double-doubles with a total of 13. At his current pace Hamilton would record 30 double-doubles by season's end to crush Hood's mark. Hamilton's double-doubles have been useful for more than stats padding. The Riverdragons are 5-3 when Hamilton posts a double-double and 6-3 when Hamilton posts double-digits in rebounds.

T-Bone Shines

Newly acquired big man Tyrone Washington has made an immediate impact since joining the Riverdragons Dec. 11 to replace Lonnie Jones. The 6-foot-10 center is averaging 8.5 ppg and 4.5 rpg over 21.7 mpg in six games with Columbus. Last Sunday (12/22) in his first start of the season, Washington had 12 points and four rebounds, hitting 8-of-12 free throws in the Riverdragons victory over Greenville. Against N. Charleston Dec.18, Washington busted through for a season-high 15 points – eight in the fourth quarter – along with six rebounds in Columbus' huge 86-83 road win over the Lowgators. The 6-foot-10 center also stepped up in his Riverdragons debut, posting 10 points and five rebounds over 21 minutes of action in the Riverdragons 88-80 loss to Mobile Dec.13.

MSU Connection

The Riverdragons are quickly becoming Mississippi State's team of choice in the NBDL. In Columbus, Washington (MSU '99) joins former Mississippi St. teammate Tang Hamilton (MSU '01) and head coach Jeff Malone (MSU '83) – the school's all-time leading scorer. A second-round draft pick by the Houston Rockets in 1999, Washington averaged 12.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game for the Bulldogs as a senior and co-captain in 1998-99.

Fowlkes Continues Good Start(s)

Columbus Riverdragons forward Tremaine Fowlkes continues to carve a niche for himself with the Los Angeles Clippers and is setting the standard for NBDL graduates at the next level. Saturday (12/21) in Los Angeles, Fowlkes posted career season-highs in points (16) and rebounds (9) in his ninth start of the season in the Clippers 92-89 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Overall Fowlkes is averaging 5.9 ppg and 4.0 rpg over 20.2 mpg in 16 games with the LAC this season. Fowlkes became the Riverdragons first NBA call-up in team history when he signed the first of two ten-day contracts with the Clippers last season (Feb. 22, 2002) and closed out the 2001-02 NBA season with the Clips. This season, the L.A. native from Crenshaw High School returned to make the Clippers 15-man roster but began the year on injured reserve with a sprained knee. However, since being activated Dec.1 Fowlkes has made nine starts at small forward in place of the injured Corey Maggette. In his first start of the season (Dec.6), Fowlkes posted a then career-high 15 points while matching up with Kevin Garnett in the Clippers victory 104-86 victory over the Timberwolves. Last season, Fowlkes became the first NBDL veteran to start an NBA regular season game, getting the nod against Memphis (2/25/02) just three days after being called-up. As a Riverdragon in 2001-02, Fowlkes averaged 16.7 ppg and 5.8 rpg in 42 games and earned first-team ALL-NBDL honors. Fowlkes is featured along with his Clippers teammates on the cover of the Clippers 2002-03 Media Guide.

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