Skyrockets Slide By Talons

February 22, 2006 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
Minot Skyrockets News Release


Gallup, NM. The San Jose Skyrockets (23-5), ranked #5 in the ABA Pit Bull Power Rankings, challenged the #4 Gallup Talons (16-3) in a much-anticipated match-up between these two Western powerhouses. In what resembled a heavyweight fight, the Skyrockets took the first of the two-game series, squeezing past the Talons in a 123-113 decision.

The Talons displayed their hot shooting from the outset, making 6 of 11 from 3-point range in the first quarter alone, resulting in an 11 point lead. San Jose then executed their full-court pressure to change the tempo of the game, helping the Skyrocketws tie with the Talons 38-38 at the 9-minute mark in the second quarter. Both teams struggled to maintain a solid lead as Gallup finished the half with a 60-56 edge.

The Skyrockets started the second half on a strong note, sparked by Jamar Howard's dunk and Solomon Hughes' steal and subsequent dunk that helped change the momentum of the game. San Jose managed to build an 8 to 10-point lead for most of the third quarter. But Gallup's streaky 3-point shooting was a constant nemesis throughout the game, as the Talons shot 14/27 from 3-point range for the game and that helped propel them to a 105-104 lead with 6:28 left in the 4th quarter. However, the Skyrockets maintained their focus and ultimately pulled off a win at the end.

Lamar Castile led all scorers with 36 points for San Jose while Howard chipped in 19 and Hughes with 14. Jason Smith and Matt Luedtke scored 12 and 11 respectively. The Talons were led by Lewis Richardson with 29, followed by Will Fun with 21. Larry Marinia contributed 18 while Bernard McIntosh scored 15.

The Skyrockets will conclude their road trip with a rematch against the Talons tonight, Feb 22. Afterwards they will return home to play against the Orange County Buzz on Feb 25, 26. For tickets and more information, please call 408 293 3788 or visit www.sjskyrockets.com or www.abalive.com.

Note: OurSports Central no longer actively covers the American Basketball Association (ABA) as a professional league due in part to its inability to publish and play a schedule and the transitory nature of many of its teams. For information on professional minor leagues, please see OSC's basketball section.



American Basketball Association Stories from February 22, 2006


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