Tulsa Dropped in Divisional Defensive Battle
Published on February 28, 2009 under NBA G League (G League)
Tulsa 66ers News Release
Okla. - Keith Clark finished with his fifth double-double of the season, as he scored 26 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but the Tulsa 66ers lost to the Austin Toros in a defensive tussle, 83-89 on Saturday at the SpiritBank Event Center.
Austin committed seven turnovers in the first quarter, and shot 43.8 percent from the field, but a 6-2 run by the 66ers cut the Toros' advantage to 15-18 at the end of the period. Tulsa shot 4-for-16 in the quarter, but were able to stay close by going 7-for-10 from the free throw line in the quarter.
A 12-3 run by the Toros midway through the second quarter helped them build a 26-36 edge, but the 66ers battled with a 9-4 run of their own to keep the halftime score close at 35-40. Again, free throws in the period helped the 66ers as they went 9-for-11 while Austin managed to make 3-of 6 attempts in the quarter.
Two Marcus Williams buckets and a Nate Brown three-pointer jump started the fourth quarter, as the Toros built their largest lead of 12 points at 56-68. It was early in the quarter however, and Tulsa once again battled back, as two free throws and a three-pointer by Gary Ervin, and a Clark jumper cut Austin's lead to 82-83 with 1:23 remaining in the game. The Toros went 8-for-8 in the quarter from the free throw line, and Williams scored 13 points in the period.
Austin was led by Williams' game-high 30 points, while Eric Dawson added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dwayne Jones scored nine points and snagged 17 rebounds, while Carldell Johnson and Ezra Williams each scored nine.
In addition to Clark, Gary Forbes added 16 points and six rebounds, while Jeremy Kelly finished with 14 points. Tulsa was outscored from the bench 22-17, for the first time in six games by an opponent.
The 66ers struggled from the field during the game, shooting 34.6 percent (27-of-78). Despite having an advantage at the free throw line with 34 attempts compared to 21 for Austin, the 66ers were able to sink 23 of them (67.6 percent).
Austin (25-9) continues their road trip on Wednesday at Colorado, before heading to Albuquerque and Reno prior to returning home.
Tulsa (7-26) heads to Erie to face the BayHawks on Thursday, March 5 before returning home for a back-to-back set against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.
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