Tuesday sports: Hustle fall to Skyforce, losing streak now at six
Center Hill and Lake Cormorant get Region 1-6A baseball opener victories.
Photo: Davon Reed of the Memphis Hustle drives against a pair of Sioux Falls Skyforce players during Tuesday night’s 121-107 loss at the Landers Center in Southaven. Reed led the Hustle in scoring with 21 points. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
The Memphis Hustle fell to the Sioux Falls Skyforce 121-107 Tuesday night at the Landers Center as the NBA G League Hustle fell for the sixth straight time. With two home games and four regular season contests remaining, the Hustle entered the game already eliminated from getting a possible playoff spot after Monday’s 122-102 Texas Legends victory over Motor City.
Memphis couldn’t capitalize on Davon Reed’s team leading 21 points in the contest, and failed to come back from a 40-point performance from Josh. Christopher.
A Houston Rockets draft choice in 2021, Christopher set season and career highs for him with his scoring effort against the Hustle.
All five Sioux Falls starters scored in double figures, three with 22 points or more, including Christopher, a former Arizona Sun Devil.
For the Hustle, a first quarter of only 18 points was too much to recover from.
“It was a terrible first quarter and after that I was pleased with how we played,” said Hustle coach Jason March. “We have these spurts where we struggle scoring the basketball, and when we are able to make shots and score we struggle getting stops.”
Memphis scored Sioux Falls point for point in the second quarter, trailing 60-44 at halftime. The Hustle actually cut into the margin by outscoring Sioux Falls 31-27 after three quarters at 87-75 Skyforce. Memphis then started the fourth quarter with a run to get back within 87-81 which was as close as Memphis could get. The Miami Heat affiliate out scored the Hustle 34-32 in the final quarter.
Reed stepped up and paced the Memphis offense, especially late in the game. Reed is in his fourth year as a professional, a returning rights player from Miami of Florida.
“He’s a veteran player, as veteran as they come,” March said. “”He’s been great for our locker room and great for our team, with his leadership and doing things the right way.”
After Reed, Michael Devoe finished with 19 points for the Hustle, while Adonis Arms and Matt Hurt each scored 16 points.
Memphis’ record is now at 12-18 with regular season home games Thursday against Cleveland and next Tuesday against Stockton, before two games at Westminster to finish the season. March does not expect being eliminated from the playoffs from his team remembering they can move up and be called up at any time if they’re playing well.
“We’re going to have nights where we get beat by whatever,” March said. “But in this league, you’ll never have guys just quit because they know someone is watching somewhere.”
DeSoto County scoreboard
Prep baseball
Center Hill 8, South Panola 3
Note: Mustangs took a 5-0 lead into the third inning and added three more in the sixth. Avery Rodgers scored a run, has two hits and two RBIs. JaMaryon Warren scored twice and also drove in a pair of runs with a homer. Mac Atkins fanned five and allowed three unearned runs in five innings on the mound.
Lake Cormorant 7, Olive Branch 6
Note: Gators scored the winning run in the fifth inning of the Region 1-6A opener. T Agner scored twice, had two hits, including a triple, and had three runs-batted-in for Lake Cormorant. M Callahan struck out 12 Quistors and allowed six unearned runs in 6.2 innings on the mound. Malachi Howze and Chance Shipp each scored twice for Olive Branch and Shipp had 2 RBIs, as did Landon Rombaugh. Rombaugh doubled and Shipp hit a triple. Rombaugh struck out six and allowed four earned runs in five innings of pitching.
Hernando 5, Houston (Germantown, Tenn.) 4
Note: The Tigers rallied from down 3-0 after five innings to score two in the sixth and three more in the seventh to beat the Mustangs. Topher Jones scored twice for Hernando, Luke Romine had two hits, including a double, and Tyler Sullivan and Meyer Maddox each drove in two runs in the victory. Romine was also the winning pitcher in relief with three strikeouts in two innings of work.
Arlington, Tenn. 20, DeSoto Central 12
Note: DeSoto Central trailed 13-3 after three innings and Arlington scored seven more times in the sixth to put the high-scoring game away. C Newsome scored three times for the Jaguars. Ethan Carter and Austin Avent had three hits each and Carter drove in four runs. Aiden Steht took the loss, giving up eight earned runs and four hits in 1.2 innings.
Northpoint Christian 12, Whitehaven 0 (5 innings)
Note: Trojans scored 10 runs in the second inning of the five-inning contest. Jace Robinson threw a no-hitter with 12 strikeouts in the contest. Robinson and Grayson Simonton each scored a pair of runs, KL Farr had three hits, including a double. Wade Malone also doubled in the win.
Prep softball
Hernando 19, Southaven 6 (5 innings)
Note: The Lady Tigers scored in every one of the five innings against the Lady Chargers. Olivia Higginbotham and Madison York each scored three times for Hernando. Katelyn Kirkpatrick, York, and Callie Desmond each picked up three hits, and York drove in four runs. Kirkpatrick tripled, York and Madeline Sowell doubled for the Lady Tigers, part of a 17-hit attack. Sowell pitched just one inning but earned the circle victory by not allowing a run and struck out one. Sophia Cooper scored twice and Carmen Turnmire had two hits for Southaven.
Lake Cormorant 10, Cleveland Central 5
Note: The Lady Gators broke the game open with a five-run third inning and added three more in the fifth after Cleveland Central tallied four runs in its fifth inning of play. Alyssa Boswood struck out 11 Lady Wolves in posting the complete-game win for the Lady Gators. Kayleigh Dawley scored three times and Chatham Hamberlin had two hits. Boswood and Hamberlin each drove in two runs.
DeSoto Central at Horn Lake (3 innings)
Note: The Lady Jags scored 11 times in the run rule-shortened contest. Makayla Jamison scored three times to lead DeSoto Central, Jamison also had three hits. Londen Armstrong and Colby Young earned two RBIs apiece. Armstrong doubled and homered, and Patience Davis also doubled for the Lady Jags. Lucy Gaffney threw a no-hitter in the circle, allowing one walk and striking out four.
Northpoint Christian 9, Munford, Tenn. 6
Note: Josey Jones led the offense for the Lady Trojans with three hits, including a double, in the victory. Trinity Garvin earned the win in the circle with nine strikeouts, and two earned runs. Northpoint took a 9-5 lead after five innings before the Lady Cougars scored once more in the sixth inning. Macie Dever-Boaz and Makenlee Bryant each scored two runs. Faith Ryan, Jones, and Dever-Boaz each doubled.
Lewisburg 8, Tipton-Rosemark, Tenn. 5
Note: The Lady Patriots won the game with three runs in the top of the seven inning. Leah Walker, Leona Klaire Stokes, and Leah Nevarez each scored a pair of runs, Stokes and Nevarez earned a pair of hits each, and Stokes got four RBIs with a pair of home runs. Nevarez doubled among her two hits. Emma Abrams struck out 10 Lady Rebels in posting the circle victory.
JUCO baseball
Northwest 3, Mississippi Delta 2
Northwest 3, Mississippi Delta 1
JUCO softball
Northwest 8, Mississippi Delta 7
Northwest 4, Mississippi Delta 2
Note: Morgen Brewton struck out nine in the complete-game pitching win, improving her record to 10-1 for the season.
SPORTS ETC.:
Jayden Smith, a junior on Lake Cormorant boys basketball team, participated in the Mississippi Association of Coaches North/South All-Star game last Saturday at Mississippi College. Smith scored 11 points, got 5 rebounds and 3 assists for the North. He is shown after the game with Gators coach Kendrick Davis.
