Wisconsin Gets Back in the Win Column, Beats Austin 120-114
December 18, 2019 - NBA G League (G League)
Wisconsin Herd News Release
OSHKOSH, WI - The Wisconsin Herd (13-2), the NBA G League affiliate of the Milwaukee Bucks, collected its 13th win of the season with a 120-114 victory over the Austin Spurs (8-7) on Tuesday night inside Menominee Nation Arena.
For the third consecutive game, Rayjon Tucker scored 30 or more points and poured in a game-high 35. In addition to the 35 points, Tucker tied his season-high with 13 field goals and set a season-high with six made threes. Frank Mason totaled 22 points and nine assists, while Jemerrio Jones collected his sixth double-double of the season and posted a stat line of 17 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Shannon Bogues had 14 points and three assists in a reserve role, and A.J. Hess and D.J. Hogg added nine points apiece.
Keldon Johnson led the way for Austin and recorded a team-high 32 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists and two steals. Drew Eubanks registered 19 points and seven rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting, while Daulton Hommes had 15 points, six rebounds and two blocks off the bench. Luka Samanic notched 10 points, six rebounds and two steals, and Matt Ferrell and Jeff Ledbetter pitched in with nine points each.
For the second consecutive game, Wisconsin's offense was clicking on all cylinders at the outset. Austin collected the game's first basket, but the Herd responded by scoring 14 of the next 19 points. As a team, Wisconsin made six of its first nine shots from the field and were led by Tucker. He shot 5-for-5 from the field, scored seven of the Herd's first nine points and totaled 15 points in the opening period. Wisconsin grabbed an early double-digit lead and with just under two and half minutes remaining in the frame, the Herd pushed its advantage to 20. In total, Wisconsin shot a blistering 62% from the field and led by as many as 22 points in the quarter. Conversely, the Spurs made just nine field goals and turned the ball over five times, which led to a 16-point Herd lead at the end of the opening 12 minutes.
The second quarter was the most efficient for Austin as the team shot nearly 60% from the floor and totaled 32 points. Despite the offensive success, the Spurs were unable to cut its deficit inside 13 points. Tucker followed his 15-point, first quarter performance with a team-high eight points in the second period. Austin managed to trim nine points off what was once a 22-point Wisconsin lead, but the Herd still maintained a sizeable 68-55 advantage at the intermission.
The Spurs made its move to start the third quarter as they opened the period on an extended 18-7 run. After cutting the Wisconsin lead to two with 7:15 remaining in the stanza, Austin tied the game at 75 on a free throw by Eubanks. On the ensuing possession, the Spurs gained its first lead since the opening seconds of the game when Kenny Williams scored on a driving layup. Austin's second lead of the night was short-lived as Bogues responded with step back, 26-foot three-pointer to put his team back in front. Offensively, the third quarter was the worst of the season for the Herd as Wisconsin scored just 16 points, which is a season-low for points scored in any period this season. The Spurs outpaced the Herd by 14 in the frame and lead 85-84 heading into the final 12 minutes.
In similar fashion to the first quarter, Wisconsin had its offense on auto pilot to start the third period. Trailing by two with 9:49 left to play in the contest, the Herd used a 12-3 spurt and retook the lead for good. Wisconsin tallied 36 points in the final quarter and turned a two-point deficit into a 12-point lead at one point. Tucker pushed the Herd over the finish line as he nearly played all 12 minutes and scored 10 points. Wisconsin led for the final 9:38 of the game and collected a 120-114 victory heading into the G League Showcase.
With the win, the Herd are 2-0 all all-time against the Austin Spurs. Wisconsin's 13 wins are tied with the Memphis Hustle for the most in the G League, and the Herd now own a 2.5 game lead over the Delaware Blue Coats in the Eastern Conference.
Up next, Wisconsin will head to Las Vegas and partake in the NBA G League Showcase. Game 1 for the Herd will be Friday night as Wisconsin takes on the Salt Lake City Stars. Tip-off inside the Mandalay Bay Convention Center is set for 8:00 p.m. CT.
NBA G League Stories from December 18, 2019
- NBA G League News and Notes - G League
- South Bay Lakers Acquire Javan Felix - South Bay Lakers
- Kings Assign Wenyen Gabriel to Stockton Kings - Stockton Kings
- Hornets Assign Caleb Martin to Greensboro Swarm - Greensboro Swarm
- Stockton Kings Tie NBA G League Record in 142-134 Win over South Bay Lakers, Bringing Home Record to 6-0 - Stockton Kings
- Skyforce Beat Buzzer, Legends in OT - Texas Legends
- Santa Cruz Warriors Defeat Clippers, 115-102 - Santa Cruz Warriors
- Horton-Tucker's Career Night Not Enough in Loss to Stockton - South Bay Lakers
- Stars Outshine Suns - Salt Lake City Stars
- Fi's Career Night Not Enough, Clips Fall to Warriors - Ontario Clippers
- Austin Spurs Come up Short to Wisconsin Herd - Austin Spurs
- Wisconsin Gets Back in the Win Column, Beats Austin 120-114 - Wisconsin Herd
- Suns Come out on Wrong End of Defensive Battle - Northern Arizona Suns
- Blue Comeback Attempt Falls Short at Wolves - Oklahoma City Blue
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.
