Santa Cruz Road Warriors Continue To Roll, Lapping The Legends 127-116

FRISCO, TX - Forwards Blake Hinson and Braxton Key combined for 51 points as the Santa Cruz Warriors (17-12) extend their win streak to five games, besting the Texas Legends (8-20), 127-116, at Comerica Center on Tuesday night.

    Forward Blake Hinson recorded a game-high 28 points, 10 rebounds, and two steals to earn his third double-double of the season. Two-way forward Braxton Key contributed 23 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Guard Yuri Collins continues to command the Warriors offense, putting up 10 points, 11 assists, and three steals to record his third double-double in the past four games. Two-way forward Jackson Rowe finished the game with 19 points, while forward Javan Johnson recorded 15 points of his own. Two-way guard Taran Armstrong came off the bench and tallied 14 points, seven assists, and seven rebounds, and fellow bench guard Alex Gil-Fernandez rounded out the scoring effort with 11 points and eight rebounds.

    Guard Zhaire Smith led the Legends with 22 points, five assists, and three blocks. Guards Jarod Lucas and Jordan Hall contributed 35 points off the bench, scoring 18 points and 17 points, respectively. Guard Jazian Gortman filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, while guard Garrett Denbow shot 4-of-5 from behind the arc to finish the game with 14 points.

    Santa Cruz took some time to settle into the flow of the game, missing their first five field goal attempts before Rowe scored five straight points to trail the Legends, 6-5, just over two minutes into the game. A 16-4 run put the Sea Dubs firmly in the driver’s seat, pulling ahead to lead Texas, 25-14, with five minutes to play in the opening frame. Nine second-chance points for the Legends slowed but did not stop the visiting team’s momentum, and the Warriors dominated the paint to outscore Texas by eight points in the lane and take a 38-30 advantage into the second quarter. Both sides were humming on offense to start the second frame as neither team was able to string together a run of more than six points, and the Warriors held on to a 55-42 lead six minutes into the quarter. Back-to-back steals by Collins made way for easy points in transition, giving the Warriors their largest lead of the first half, 68-49, with 2:37 remaining before halftime. Hinson capped off his 20-point performance in the first half with a putback layup to send the Warriors into the break ahead, 72-58.

    The Legends continued to apply pressure coming out of halftime, piecing together a 10-2 run to cut the Warriors lead down to six points at the start of the third quarter. After calling an early timeout to stall the home side’s momentum, Santa Cruz quickly launched their counterattack with a 10-4 run to regain a 84-72 advantage midway through the third frame. After shooting 47% on three-point attempts in the first half, Santa Cruz cooled off in the third, connecting on 1-of-9 shot attempts from behind the arc. Denbow capitalized on the visiting team’s offensive lull by draining a trio of threes to keep the Legends within striking distance, sending Texas into the final 12 minutes of the game trailing Santa Cruz, 99-88. Gil-Fernandez proved to be the difference maker for the Sea Dubs in the fourth quarter, tallying five points, four offensive rebounds, one block, and a steal in the frame to extend the Warriors lead to 20 points with 6:45 left in the contest. The Legends refused to go quietly, mounting a 17-6 swing to bring the home side within nine points with 1:27 left on the clock. A pair of powerful dunks from Rowe and forward Donta Scott sealed the deal for the Sea Dubs, and the Warriors claimed a 127-116 win over the Texas Legends to stay undefeated four games into their seven-game road trip.

    The Santa Cruz Warriors will stay in Texas to take on the Legends again on Thursday, March 20, with tip-off scheduled for 5:00 p.m. PT. 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.