Saturday sports: Last-second shot bounces off as Hustle fall to Warriors
Photo: Cameron McGriff of the Hustle drives for two points during the Saturday, Jan. 27 Memphis Hustle game with Santa Cruz at the Landers Center in Southaven. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The Memphis Hustle came within a three-point shot bouncing off at the buzzer from stopping the Santa Cruz Warriors’ winning streak at five Saturday night. In the end, the Golden State Warriors affiliate escaped the Landers Center with a 126-124 victory to move two games above .500 at 7-5 and drop the Hustle to 5-7 as they started the season’s longest winning streak, a seven-game run of contests at the Landers Center that will continue Monday night against the Warriors at 7 p.m.
Matt Hurt was again stellar for the Hustle, knocking down a total of 35 points against Santa Cruz and grabbing a career-high 14 rebounds. Entering the game ranked number three in the G League in point average at 24.5 points per game, Hurt blistered the net with four three-pointers in five attempts.
However, number five at the buzzer didn’t come, as a designed play for him to take the final shot at the buzzer had it bouncing off the rim a couple of times before finally falling off.
“Yeah, it was for Matt to get a shot,” said Hustle coach Jason March after the game. “I felt like with his size and the way he played all night and has been playing, he was the guy we wanted to have the ball in his hands.”
Not only was Hurt finding the range against the Warriors, but the four other starters and newcomer Kevion Nolan, who all scored in double figures. Adonis Arms finished with 24 points, DeJon Jarreau scored 18, Lucas Williamson 16, and Cameron McGriff 11. Nolan, in his first Landers Center appearance since his acquisition, finished with 10 points.
Another newcomer seeing his first action for the Hustle was Michael Devoe, picked up this week in a trade with the Salt Lake City Stars for a 2024 first-round draft pick. Devoe scored eight points in his first 25 minutes as a member of the Memphis Hustle.
“I wanted to be very careful with his minutes,” March explained. “He had a very early flight yesterday and a lot going on, so I didn’t want to run him out there for a long time. Mike (Devoe) is a very good player and you’re gonna see a lot of him as we move forward.”
Former Memphis Tiger Kendric Davis and Pat Spencer each scored 23 points to lead the Warriors, coached by Nicholas Kerr, son of Golden State coach Steve Kerr. Davis and Spencer were among six Santa Cruz players hitting double figures for the game.
The game featured point streaks, lead changes and three-point bombs. Santa Cruz led by as much as 16 points in the win, while the Hustle at one time held a nine-point lead. There were 12 lead changes and seven ties.
From ‘downtown,’ the Warriors canned 18-three pointers for 39.1 percent; the Hustle threw up 35 three points shots and made 14 for 40 percent.
Santa Cruz roared out to a 42-31 lead after one quarter but the Hustle rallied to score 37 points in the second quarter. Memphis tied the high-scoring game at 56-56 with 4:18 left in the half after Hurt drilled a long-range three and led by two at 68-66 at halftime with the former Duke Blue Devil scoring 19 points. Memphis led 103-96 entering the final quarter, but Santa Cruz clamped down the defense and allowed only 21 Hustle points in claiming the victory.
“I thought we played well,” March said. “I felt like we should have had that game. I felt like we got very loose at the start of the fourth quarter. We had a chance to put them away.”
The Hustle coach feels his team will come out with another strong competitive effort when they play again Monday night.
“I think I think our guys will respond,” March said. “We’ve got a group that will come out and compete. I can’t predict what’s going to happen but I do know that we’ll come out and play the right way.”
DeSoto County Scoreboard
Saturday, Jan. 27
Prep basketball
Oxford 72, Lewisburg 59
Olive Branch 85, Byhalia 52
Northpoint Christian 58, City University 42
- Northpoint scoring: Ayden Kelly (26), Patton Huxford (13), Grayson Alford (10)
Southaven 79, Horn Lake 75 (overtime)
- Southaven scoring: Tyler Watkins (24), Cael Jones (20)
Prep girls basketball
Lewisburg 56, Oxford 43
Olive Branch 73, Byhalia 6
Southaven 56, Horn Lake 40
SPORTS ETC: AS SEEN ON X/TWITTER
