Sports stats



Riverdragons Run Past Altitude For Record Setting Win

December 9, 2004 - NBA G League (G League)
Columbus Riverdragons News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga.— Reed Rawlings and Scott Merritt tallied 15 points each and Columbus held Asheville to 33% shooting from the floor as the Riverdragons earned their team-record fifth straight win, with a 96-81 victory over the Asheville Altitude on Thursday night at the Columbus Civic Center. Columbus (7-1) is off to its best start in team history and currently holds a two-game lead over the second place Huntsville Flight (4-2).

With the loss, Asheville dropped to 4-4 overall. After setting an NBDL record for single-game field goal percentage on Tuesday night versus Roanoke, the Altitude hit only 25 of 76 shots from the floor, a season-low shooting mark. The lone bright spot for Asheville was at the foul line, as the Altitude connected on 30 of 37 attempts to keep the score respectable.

After a sluggish start in the first quarter Columbus opened things up with a Merritt lay-up at the 6:16 mark that tied up the score, 10-10. That basket ignited 19-6 run over the remainder of the period, as Rawlings and Merritt both contributed six points in the spurt to lead Columbus. Merritt posted ten points in the opening stanza, while Rawlings notched nine as Columbus led 27-16 after one period.

Asheville began to chip away at the Columbus advantage in the second quarter, getting as close as five points, 42-37, with 3:18 to go, courtesy of two Antonio Meeking free throws. But the Dragons capped off the first half with 8-0 run in the final 2:19 on a Rawlings lay-in, a Derrick Zimmerman lay-up and dunk, and a Rawlings slam prior to the first half horn, following a Zimmerman steal. The Rawlings rip extended the Riverdragons lead to 13 at the break, 50-37.

Asheville would get no closer in the second half, as Columbus outscored the Altitude 25-22 in the third period to raise the advantage to 75-59 heading into the fourth. Columbus built the lead to as many as 25 in the fourth quarter following two Merritt free throws with 8:40 remaining. Asheville got within 14 points, at 90-76 with 2:34 left on a Leonard Stokes lay-in, but the Dragons answered with back-to-back baskets from Minard and Doliboa to put the game away.

Minard finished with 14 points, four rebounds, and four assists, while Mike Benton tallied ten points, nine rebounds, and tied a Riverdragons record with five blocked shots, tying four others for that mark.

Ron Slay led the Altitude for the second straight game with 19 points off the bench. Meeking posted 15 points and eight rebounds, while Stokes had ten points and six rebounds in the loss.

The Riverdragons return to action next Thursday, December 16 at the Columbus Civic Center against the Roanoke Dazzle at 7:00 p.m. EST. Asheville continues its road trip tomorrow night at Huntsville with a 8:00 p.m. EST tip-off against the Flight at the Von Braun Center. For more information, log onto nbdl.com.

• Discuss this story on the NBA G League message board...

NBA G League Stories from December 9, 2004


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.

OurSports Central