Wildcats home opener ends in OT heartbreaker
November 13, 2006 - American Basketball Association (ABA)
San Diego Wildcats News Release
San Diego, CA. Friday, November 10th opened the inaugural season for the ABA San Diego Wildcats on their home court at Eastlake High School. They took on the Maywood Buzz which handed them their only pre-season loss. the team, led by coach Ray Johnson, is poised to have an impressive season as they bring back professional basketball to San Diego. The starting lineup for the Wildcats included Jamaal Jenkins, Jamaal Kendrick, Michael McNair, Cardell Butler and Malcom Battle.
Opening tip off went to the home team with Cardell Butler following it with a pretty jump shot. Both teams started off cold putting up low shooting percentages. For the majority of the first and second quarters, the two teams traded jabs along with the share of the lead. With first game jitters out of the way closing out the half, both teams end with a 50-50 tie.
To start the second half, Maywood's defense was intense and aggressive. It appeared as though the Wildcats had no answers which quickly led to the Buzz racking up a sizable lead. With the game on the line, San Diego became inspired and showed their metal. They battled back from a 21-point deficit to retake the lead and show the Buzz that Eastlake High was their home! With less than two minutes left in the game, the Wildcats proved they were up to the test as they stole the lead back from the Buzz. Again, the teams traded jabs and the lead all the way to the end of the fourth quarter. As Jamaal Jenkins hit two clutch free throws to give the Wildcats a comfortable three point lead. With 245 seconds remaining in the game, former Wildcat Tony Farmer hit a miraculous three to tie the game for the Buzz. Regulation ended with a 105 tie.
As the game entered overtime, tensions continued to run high as Maywood's Darren Little was ejected for a hard foul against Butler. Unfortunately, a couple of mental errors by the Wildcats allowed the Buzz to take advantage and ultimately, take the game from San Diego. While the contest ended in their first loss, 112-110, the game showcased the team's ability to play hard, come back from a significant deficit and come together as a cohesive unit. The game left San Diego with a solid foundation to build upon and lessons to carry forward to future games and opponents. Butler's point total led all players with 30. For more information, visit www.sandiegowildcats.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.
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