G League Santa Cruz Warriors

Warriors Fall Short to Iowa at NBA D-League Showcase

Published on January 9, 2016 under NBA G League (G League)
Santa Cruz Warriors News Release


SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -The NBA D-League Champion Santa Cruz Warriors (10-11) were defeated by the Iowa Energy 101-89 to close out Friday's action at the 2016 NBA Development League Showcase in Santa Cruz, CA.

Santa Cruz's Darington Hobson finished with 24 points and 18 rebounds - both game-highs for the 6-foot-7, 210-pound wing, to go along with eight assists. Daniel Nwaelele scored 21 points for the Warriors, and recently acquired guard Aaron Craft notched eight points and eight assists in his debut for Santa Cruz this season.

Iowa received double-digit scoring efforts from all five starters, highlighted by Alex Stepheson's 21 points and 13 rebounds. Andrew Harrison finished the game with 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Energy, while Joel Wright put up 19 points and seven rebounds in the win.

It was a low-scoring first quarter for both teams as the Energy and Warriors combined to hit just 13-of-46 shots from the field (28 percent). Wright finished with a quarter-high seven points and five rebounds, and Iowa connected on five-of-seven free throws in the opening frame.

Iowa jumped on Santa Cruz early in the second quarter and ultimately built a 17-point lead before going into halftime up 47-34. Harrison registered 10 points and four assists in the second quarter alone, and Stepheson didn't miss any of the four shots he took in the period. Hobson tallied six points, eight rebounds and four assists through the first two quarters for the Warriors.

Terry Whisnant took the reins for Iowa after halftime, leading all scorers with nine points in the third quarter to guide the Energy to a 72-55 lead entering the fourth.

The Warriors rallied in the fourth quarter to hit 14-of-27 shots from the field (52 percent) and outscore the Energy by five in the final 12 minutes, but it wasn't enough to surmount the 17-point deficit they faced going in to the period. The Energy connected on 10-of-12 free throws in the fourth to seal the victory.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will face the Sioux Falls Skyforce tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. PST for their final match-up during the NBA D-League Showcase 2016 at Kaiser Permanente Arena. Fans can catch the game on the NBA D-League's YouTube channel, via www.santacruzbasketball.com.

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NBA G League Stories from January 9, 2016


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