Santa Cruz Starting Guards Combine for 52 Points in 126-112 Loss to Salt Lake City Stars
G League Santa Cruz Warriors

Santa Cruz Starting Guards Combine for 52 Points in 126-112 Loss to Salt Lake City Stars

Published on November 29, 2025 under NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release


SANTA CRUZ, CA - The Santa Cruz Warriors (0-8) fell 126-112 to the Salt Lake City Stars (6-1) on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena, despite an offensive effort featuring three double-doubles and 52 combined points from LJ Cryer and Taevion Kinsey.

Guard LJ Cryer flirted with a triple-double, finishing with 28 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. Guard Taevion Kinsey followed closely behind with 24 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Center Marques Bolden finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Two-way forward Jackson Rowe contributed a 10-point, 10-rebound double-double, and forward Ja'Vier Francis recorded his second double-double of the season, notching 13 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Michael O'Connell rounded out the Warriors' scoring effort with 14 points of his own.

Forward Taylor Hendricks, on assignment from the Utah Jazz, led the Stars with 26 points and seven rebounds. Fellow Utah Jazz assignment player, forward Cody Williams recorded 20 points and seven rebounds. Guard Matthew Murrell and guard Sean East II combined to score 31 points off the bench for the Stars, scoring 16 points and 15 points, respectively. Two-way guard John Tonje shot 4-of-7 from behind the arc to record 15 points, and center Mo Bamba contributed 13 points and nine rebounds.

Offense came easy for both sides in the opening five minutes of the game, as the two teams shot over 50% from the floor and Bolden and Kinsey combined to give the Warriors a 14-13 edge. Santa Cruz's second unit provided the next nine points for the home side, with Francis grabbing three offensive rebounds to score six first-quarter points to stay ahead 23-20 with 2:52 left in the opening frame. Cryer, who finished the first quarter with six rebounds and six assists, connected on a shot from deep with 37 seconds left on the clock to tie the game up at 28 points apiece heading into the second frame. Salt Lake City opened the second quarter on a seven-minute 18-6 run to pull ahead 46-34. The Stars had eight players contribute to their 33-point second quarter, extending their lead to 14 points with 2:25 left until halftime. Eight unanswered points by the Warriors cut the deficit to six, but a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer from Harkless gave the Stars a 61-52 advantage after 24 minutes of action.

The Warriors and Stars recorded just three made field goals each through the first four minutes of the second half, and the visiting side continued to lead 70-56. Five Santa Cruz turnovers and 3-of-12 three-point shooting ailed their chances at closing the gap; however, nine points and a trio of assists from Kinsey in the frame kept the Sea Dubs in striking distance, trailing by 11 points with just over five minutes left in the frame. The Stars regrew their lead to 17 points and went into the fourth quarter leading 99-81. Cryer kept his foot on the gas in the final frame, hitting four three-point attempts to score a quarter-high 15 points. The Stars matched Cryer's long-ranging shooting production with five makes of their own in the frame, leading by at least 13 points the entire fourth quarter. Facing a 13-point margin to overcome with 1:25 remaining in the game, Santa Cruz was unable to manufacture a critical scoring rally and fell 126-112 to the Salt Lake City Stars.

The Warriors will host the Stars again tomorrow night, Saturday, November 29, with tip-off slated for 7 p.m. PT. Stay up to date with the latest Santa Cruz Warriors news, scores, and exclusive content by downloading the official Santa Cruz Warriors app for iOS and Android. Fans interested in securing the best seats at the lowest price are encouraged to call (831) 713-4400, email scwtickets@goldenstate.com, or visit santacruzbasketball.com for more information.

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