Photo: David Johnson of the Memphis Hustle follows through on a shot against the Salt Lake City Stars Tuesday night at the Landers Center. Johnson led the Hustle with 27 points. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
Games are running out for the Memphis Hustle, which finished a four-game home stand with the Hustle’s fourth straight loss. The Salt Lake City Stars, which the Utah Jazz are the NBA parent club, got two late free throws to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies’ G League affiliate 121-119 and complete a two-game sweep. The Hustle also lost twice to the South Bay Lakers during the home stand.
The Hustle were feasted on by the Stars’ Elijah Harkless, a two-way player who posted career highs for scoring in both contests. Following a 40-point effort Sunday against Memphis, the former UNLV Runnin’ Rebel lit up the Hustle for 44 points in Tuesday’s victory.
Hustle coach T.C. Swirsky, himself a product of the Nevada-Las Vegas program, jokingly thinks Harkless owes him some money.
“He played against us in San Diego and he got his two-way (contract) after the game and he never paid me for those performances against us,” Swirsky said. “Now he also owes me for what he did Sunday.”
The second quarter was the difference in the game, as Salt Lake City scored 40 points to Memphis’ 28 for a 61-57 lead at halftime The second-quarter outburst came after the Stars opened the game with a 29-21 advantage after one quarter.
Both teams played even basketball in the third quarter and the Hustle outscored the Stars 35-33 in the final 12 minutes. However, the Hustle had to rally from trailing 77-67 midway in the third quarter.
Yuki Kawamura tied the game at 95-95 and took a brief lead before the Stars led 101-97 midway through the final quarter. Nate Hinton’s two free throws put the Hustle ahead 117-116 with 54 seconds left, but Harkless stroked a three-pointer to give the Stars a 119-117 edge with 40 seconds left.
DJ Steward answered with a basket to tie the game against at 119- with 28.8 seconds remaining. On the next possession, the Stars’ Micah Potter was fouled and made two free throws. A last-second shot was missed by the Hustle as the game ended for the Stars, 121-119.
David Johnson came off the bench and led the Hustle in scoring with 27 points, followed by Steward with 17 points and Kawamura with 16.
“He (Johnson) was really good,” Swirsky said. “We’ve got a lot of good scorers and he’s probably the most talented of them and he’s been shooting at a good clip.”
Memphis, now 12-14 for the year, starts its final regular season road trip Thursday and Friday against the Long Island Nets, playing both games in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Monday, March 10
Prep baseball
Lipscomb Academy 11, DeSoto Central 1
DeSoto Central 4, Westminster Christian Academy 2
Center Hill 11, Tupelo Christian Prep 5
Lake Cormorant 12, Heritage Academy 7
Hernando 10, Biloxi 2
Prep softball
Lewisburg 2, Bellaire, Texas 1
Lewisburg 5, Madison County, Ala. 4
DeSoto Central 4, Buckhorn, Ala. 1
DeSoto Central 16, Evangelical Christian 1
Tuesday, March 11
Prep baseball
Starkville 5, Hernando 2
Grenada 6, Hernando 4
Tishomingo County 9, Lake Cormorant 7
Lake Cormorant 11, West Point 1
Center Hill 3, Madison-Ridgeland Academy 2
DeSoto Central 4, Tuscaloosa Academy, Ala. 1
Lewisburg 9, Lincoln, Fla. 3
Lewisburg: Talon Haley, 3rd homer of the season, Grant Walendzik also homers. Haley strikes out seven on the mound, Cade Sanders fans three and gets the mound win.
