Springfield Bests Canton 95-86 in Front of Sell-Out Crowd
Published on March 21, 2014 under NBA G League (G League)
Springfield Armor News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - Before a raucous crowd of 7,111 inside the MassMutual Center, the Springfield Armor (20-25), presented by MGM Springfield, sprinted to a 95-86 victory over the Canton Charge (25-19) in the team's final regular season home game Friday night.
The Charge started with an early lead, building a six-point advantage after one period and shot a steady 42.9 percent from the field in the first half. Two players reached double figures through the first two frames (Shane Edwards: 14, Will Cherry: 10), helping the Charge to the early edge.
The Armor struggled from beyond the arc in the beginning, shooting 1-for-11 from long distance in the first half, but the Springfield offense came alive in the second quarter to pull the home team within striking distance at the break. A nine-point frame by L.D. Williams, coming on 4-of-9 shooting, sparked the Armor to 28 points and just a 46-44 deficit heading into the locker room.
With a two-point hole and a 3-9 record when starting the second half down at home, the Springfield offense continued to flourish, outscoring Canton 32-18 in the third as Larry Anderson turned in nine of his team-high 19 points on a perfect 3-of-3 effort from the floor in the stanza. Canton shot at 47 percent, but was only able to get off 15 shots as the Armor built a 76-64 advantage entering the final frame.
Springfield extended its edge to as many as 14 in the fourth before an 18-8 run that spanned nearly nine minutes pulled Canton as close as four with 69 seconds remaining. The Charge tried to extend the game down the final stretch, but Anderson connected on three clutch free throws to seal the victory.
Shane Edwards led Canton with a game-high 32 points, but the rest of the Charge's starting lineup turned in just 34. Olek Czyz finished with a double-double off the bench, totaling 12 points and 13 rebounds on the night.
Willie Reed pulled down 16 boards and dropped in 14 for a double-double, while Jeff Foote tallied 17 points on a 7-of-13 effort from the floor.
The 7,111 fans that filled the MassMutual Center equated to the largest crowd in team history as the sell-out was the first in the franchise's existence. The 20 wins Springfield has collected are the second most in a single season by the organization as the 2011-12 Eastern Division Champions set the pace with 30.
With the 95-86 victory, the Armor keep their playoff hopes alive, but will need the Reno Bighorns to defeat the Santa Cruz Warriors in a game that tipped at 10:00 p.m. tonight.
Springfield will finish its regular season with a five-game road swing starting Sunday afternoon in Maine for a 1:00 p.m. tip against the Red Claws. For more information on the Armor, visit www.ArmorHoops.com or call (413) 746-3263. Keep up with the Armor on Facebook and Twitter.
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