Zilinskas, Burton lead Hustle Past Capitanes 109-103 to start 2-0
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — The Memphis Hustle (2-0) survived a massive second-half comeback attempt by the Mexico City Capitanes (0-2) to win 109-103 Sunday at the Landers Center.
The Hustle dominated early, opening the game with a 32-13 first-quarter run and eventually building a 24-point lead. But the Capitanes stormed back, outscoring Memphis 35-24 in the third quarter before the Hustle regained control late.
Head coach Rob Sanicola praised his new team’s resilience in their second game of the season.
“I thought they played great,” Sanicola said. “We’re still trying to get to know ourselves… a lot of new guys, lot of new faces. The best part of this week is they get along, and I think you saw that at the end of the game, right? Just how we stuck together and found a way to win.”
Sanicola pointed to the dominant first quarter as the team’s “identity” and the “standard” they aim to sustain. When the Capitanes rallied, Sanicola noted the Hustle “got a little bit in foul trouble” and had to “do some things that we haven’t even practiced.”
A major boost came from guard Paul Zilinskas, who scored 20 points off the bench. Zilinskas was perfect from the field, shooting 6-for-6, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. His performance was crucial after not playing in the previous game.
“Obviously, Paul… made some huge threes,” Sanicola said. “That’s what he does. I think that’s what really earned him a spot, you know, just being able to stretch the defense.”
Tyler Burton led the Hustle with 21 points. Sanicola praised Burton’s development and growing confidence following an injury last season.
“What I love is how aggressive he’s been,” Sanicola said. “He’s not just, you know, maybe a catch and shoot guy. He got downhill, he was able to play in transition.”
Charlie Brown Jr. added 17 points, while Nate Hinton secured a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Lawson Lovering narrowly missed one with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Capitanes were led by a game-high 23 points from RJ Melendez. LJ Figueroa posted 18 points and nine rebounds and Wade Taylor IV added 18 points off the bench.
As the Hustle prepares for a road trip to Texas and Oklahoma City, Sanicola said the focus remains on development, not just the 2-0 record.
“I don’t think I’ve talked about winning with this group yet… it’s about growth, right? Individually, collectively,” Sanicola said. “You can learn a lot through losing, too… At the end of the day, hopefully later on, we’re playing our best basketball. That’s the goal.”
