Knox and Rowe Combine For 68 Points In 132-127 Warriors Loss Against Salt Lake City

SANTA CRUZ, CA - The Santa Cruz Warriors (7-4) were narrowly defeated, 132-127, in the first game of their back-to-back series against the Salt Lake City Stars (6-5) at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday night.

    Forward Kevin Knox II led the Warriors with a game-high 35 points and seven rebounds. After posting a career-high 30 points against San Diego on January 22, forward Jackson Rowe erupted for 33 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks. Forward Blake Hinson came off the bench and connected on a season-high six three-pointers to finish with 20 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Guard Yuri Collins continued to initiate the Warriors offense, distributing a game-high 15 assists while recording seven points and four rebounds.

    Guard Dereon Seabron led the Stars with 33 points, 11 rebounds, and nine assists. Two-way center Micah Potter followed closely with 30 points and seven assists, and two-way center Oscar Tshiebwe contributed 12 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Forward Dane Goodwin led both teams in bench scoring with 24 points and seven rebounds, and forward Keshawn Justice rounded out the offensive effort with 18 points and six rebounds. 

    Salt Lake City scored the first bucket of the contest after gathering three offensive boards in the same possession, and Santa Cruz responded immediately with a driving layup from Pat Spencer. From that point forward, both teams traded baskets and battled for the lead until a chasedown block from Knox cleared the way for a quick three-pointer from Hinson to give the home team a 17-11 edge halfway through the opening quarter. The Stars briefly regained control until back-to-back Santa Cruz three-pointers boosted Santa Cruz back in front, 30-28, with under a minute remaining, but Salt Lake City tied the score from the charity stripe to put both teams on equal footing with 30 points each to close out the frame. Back-to-back three-pointers from Knox and Rowe allowed Santa Cruz to jump out to a 38-33 advantage early in the period before the visiting Stars clawed back in front with a 7-0 run to make it a 57-53 ball game with 3:41 remaining in the first half. The Warriors offense continued to shine behind 20 points from Rowe, who capped off his first half performance with a cutting lay-up in the final seconds of the frame to give Santa Cruz a narrow 70-68 lead entering the break.

    Neither team was able to pull ahead by more than four points to start the second half until an 11-3 run gave the visiting Stars a 91-83 lead with 4:30 left in the frame. Six offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points in the quarter proved to make all the difference for Salt Lake City as the Stars took the first double-digit advantage of the game, leading 98-87 with just under three minutes left in the third quarter. Knox and Rowe combined for 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the period to keep the Warriors within striking distance, but Salt Lake City stayed a step ahead to take a 102-92 edge into the final frame. Santa Cruz steadily clawed back throughout the fourth quarter, orchestrating a 14-6 swing to close the gap to 113-111 with six minutes on the clock. Knox cut through traffic and drained a contested lay-up to claim a 123-122 lead for Santa Cruz with 1:13 remaining in the contest, but Salt Lake City pulled off a 7-0 run to reclaim the advantage once more. The Warriors were unable to close the gap as time expired, eventually falling to the Stars, 132-127. 

    The Warriors will host the Salt Lake City Stars for the second half of their back-to-back series tomorrow night, Saturday, January 25 (7 p.m. Tip-Off). Stay up to date with the latest Santa Cruz Warriors news, scores, and exclusive content by downloading the official Santa Cruz Warriors app for iOS and Android. Fans interested in securing the best seats at the lowest price are encouraged to call (831) 713-4400, email scwtickets@warriors.com, or visit santacruzbasketball.com for more information.