Hustle rally late to edge Stockton
The Memphis Hustle (9-2) rallied to defeat the Stockton Kings (11-3) 110-109 on Saturday at Stockton Arena and split a two-game series.
Sean McDermott led the Hustle with 23 points and seven rebounds and scored the final nine points to win the game. Dakota Mathias followed with 22 points, Matthew Hurt and Damien Jefferson scored 13 points apiece and Jacob Gilyard posted his third double-double of the season behind 12 points and 11 assists.
Trey Burke led the Kings with 20 points and five assists, and Neemias Queta followed with his seventh double-double of the season behind 19 points and 14 rebounds. Alex O’Connell added 14 points off the bench, Keon Ellis posted 13 points and eight rebounds and Jordan Ford and Jerish Horne both scored 11 points each.
Memphis led 34-28 at the end of the first quarter and continued to lead through the second quarter, holding a 64-60 halftime advantage.
Stockton mounted a 19-6 run in the second half to pull ahead and lead by as many as 11 in the fourth quarter. The Kings led 109-101 with 1:51 remaining when McDermott dunked following a feed from Gilyard and then grabbed two offensive rebounds and slammed in a putback on the following possession to bring Memphis within four.
McDermott knocked down a 3-pointer with 20.2 seconds remaining on the Hustle’s next trip down the court, and after Stockton committed a five-second inbounds violation, he made the go-ahead layup with 6.5 seconds on the clock to complete a personal 9-0 run. Burke misfired on a potential game-winner at the buzzer to give the Hustle the comeback victory.
The Hustle outscored the Kings 23-11 in second chance points, including a 7-0 margin in the final frame.
Memphis continues its road trip with a back-to-back series against the Salt Lake City Stars on Monday, Jan. 30, and Tuesday, Jan. 31, at Maverik Center. Both games will tip-off at 8 p.m. Central time.
