Thursday sports: Hustle end losing streak, Mustang baseball’s big inning beats Tigers
Photo: Matt Hurt of the Memphis Hurt joined Adonis Arms with 21 points as leading scorers in Thursday’s 106-103 win over the Cleveland Charge at the Landers Center in Southaven. (Michael Priest/stoppingtimephotography.com)
The home portion of the Memphis Hustle’s NBA G League’s regular season is about done but a season-high six-game losing streak is no more. The skid ended with the Hustle’s 106-103 win over the Cleveland Charge Thursday night at the Landers Center in Southaven.
Adonis Arms and Matt Hurt each scored 21 points to lead the Hustle in the regular season win, stopping a skein that started with the March 4 loss at Rip City (Portland, Oregon) by a score of 137-111. The win improved Memphis’ record to 13-18 while Cleveland dropped to 13-16 for the regular season.
Thursday’s game started much like how recent Hustle games have gone, with Memphis digging themselves into a hole by trailing 34-25 after one quarter.
“It just bothers me that it continues to happen so we got to be better at the start of the game,” coach Jason March. “We definitely have a chance if we’d get off to better starts but we keep digging ourselves these holes.”
However, things slowly got better for the Hustle after that, allowing the Charge only 22 points in each of the next two quarters to trail by only 78-75 Cleveland heading into the final period of play.
“If we can do that consistently, holding teams under 30 or 28 points in a quarter, it gives us a chance because I still feel like we’re a team that can score the ball.”
The Hustle would take over the final quarter and halfway through would have a 92-88 lead. Cleveland would come back to retake the lead at 101-100 with 2:33 remaining.
Hurt would nail a deep three with 43.9 second left for a 103-101 lead, followed by a free throw from Lucas Williamson and Davon Reed’s two free throws would seal the victory.
“It was good to see him (Hurt) get going tonight,” March said. “He’s a heck of a player, a heck of a shooter and a heck of a teammate.”
The Hustle would have all five starters in double figures, led by Arms and Hurt, who added 10 rebounds for a double-double performance. Reed added his own double-double with 17 points and 13 assists, and Williamson added 15 points more. Isaiah Mobley led all scorers with 24 points for Cleveland.
One more home game remains for the Hustle, which were eliminated from a chance at the playoffs before Tuesday’s contest. That will be this coming Tuesday night at 7 p.m against the Stockton Kings. Memphis has two road games at Westchester, New York (Knicks) to wrap up the season.
Photos by Michael Priest, StoppingTimePhotography
Wednesday, March 20
Prep baseball
Hernando 13, Southaven 2 (6 innings)
Note: Hernando scored five times in the fourth inning to break open the contest. Southaven scored twice in the third. Hernando’s Preston Johnson scored three times, doubled among three hits and drove in two runs. Hallas Lawson garnered three RBIs. Thomas Mitchell struck out seven in three innings pitching. Landon Holmes was the winning pitcher in relief. Cam Johnson doubled for Southaven.
Thursday, March 21
Prep baseball
Center Hill 11, South Panola 4 (8 innings)
Note: The Mustangs scored seven times in the eighth inning for the victory. Houston Green stroked a pair of doubles and Hudson Marascuilo added another two-base hit. Avery Taylor drove in three runs for Center Hill and Green added two more RBIs. Green also pitched seven innings and struck out seven for the mound victory. The win completed a two-game Region 1-6A sweep of the Tigers by the Mustangs.
Lake Cormorant 3, Olive Branch 0
Note: Lake Cormorant pitcher Brayden Moberly struck out 15 Olive Branch hitters in the victory. Gators scored single runs in the second, fifth, and seventh innings. Ty Agner had two hits, all singles, and two RBIs for Lake Cormorant.
South Gibson 7, Northpoint Christian 6
Note: The Hornets rallied with single runs in the fourth and fifth innings for the victory. Northpoint had a 6-5 lead after three innings of play. Carson Jones and Isaiah Nolan both homered for the Trojans, Jace Robinson doubled among two hits. Jones and Nolan each drove in a pair of runs. Alex Love gave up six earned runs, walked six and struck out five for the Trojans.
Prep softball
Lake Cormorant 10, Grenada 6
Note: Alivia Burns scored a run on two hits and grabbed three RBIs for Lake Cormorant in the win. Alyssa Duckworth and Chatham Hamberlin each scored two runs. Pitcher Alyssa Boswood struck out 11 in the complete-game circle victory.
Hernando 10, DeSoto Central 0 (6 innings)
Note: Olivia Higginbotham scored three runs as Hernando scored in five of the six innings played against the Lady Jags. Kaitlyn Gentry had three hits and drove in a run, and Bertlee Barrett added two hits and two RBIs for the Lady Tigers. Barrett, Higginbotham, and Jayla Sites all doubled. Kate Johnson allowed one hit and struck out three for the circle victory.
Lewisburg 17, Horn Lake 0 (3 innings)
Note: Lewisburg scored nine times in the first and eight more in the second inning in a game ended by run-rule after three innings. Leah Walker scored twice, had two triples and drove in a run for the Lady Patriots. Bailee Davis and Leona Klaire Stokes each homered. Annie Terbiani allowed one hit and struck out two in two innings of work for the circle victory. It was her first varsity start for Lewisburg.
Oxford 14, Southaven 6
Note: Oxford had a 9-0 lead after two innings. Sophia Cooper, Sarah Moore, and Taylor Wade each doubled for Southaven. Moore drove in three runs and Cooper added two RBIs.
Center Hill 15, Olive Branch 4 (6 innings)
JUCO men’s tennis
Itawamba 9, Northwest 0
JUCO women’s tennis
Itawamba 6, Northwest 3
SPORTS ETC.:
Lake Cormorant’s girls volleyball team was recognized at the State Capitol today for their MHSAA 6A state championship, the Lady Gators’ second straight state title.
Center Hill girls’ basketball player Zarria Shipp Thursday signed to play next season at East Mississippi Community College.
