Santa Cruz Overcomes 20-Point Deficit to Beat Los Angeles
March 21, 2015 - NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. - The Santa Cruz Warriors defeated the Los Angeles D-Fenders 99-92 on Friday night to improve to 31-14 on the season, officially clinching a playoff berth.
Santa Cruz was led by Mychel Thompson, who notched 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Ognjen Kuzmic, on assignment from Golden State, recorded a double-double, collecting a total of 17 points and 19 rebounds. Aaron Craft also had a double-double for the Warriors, with 12 points and 10 assists.
Los Angeles received a solid performance from Vander Blue who recorded 31 points, 8 assists, and 5 rebounds. Eloy Vargas and Jamaal Franklin both notched double-doubles for the D-Fenders.
The first quarter saw Los Angeles race ahead, holding Santa Cruz to a 32% team shooting effort. The D-fenders would lead by as many as 16 points in the opening frame behind Blue's and Franklin's 8 points apiece.
In the second period, Los Angeles would open their lead to twenty points before the Warriors rallied back behind a barrage of three-pointers. Santa Cruz cut the Los Angeles lead to single-digits, entering the break at a six-point deficit.
The Warriors would emerge from halftime to quickly take the lead. A Mychel Thompson three-pointer followed by a Taylor Griffin bucket gave Santa Cruz the 56-55 edge just one minute into the third quarter. The remainder of the game was a tightly-contested battle complete with five lead changes and two ties. Santa Cruz would ultimately finish on top, notching a fifth win against the D-Fenders this season.
The Santa Cruz Warriors will host the Reno Bighorns tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. PST at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Fans can listen to the broadcast on the Santa Cruz Warriors flagship station, KION 1460AM/101.1FM, or catch the game on the NBA D-League's YouTube channel, via www.santacruzbasketball.com.
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