Santa Cruz Warriors Fall To Delaware Blue Coats In 128-106 Loss

ORLANDO, FL - The Santa Cruz Warriors (6-9) fell to the Delaware Blue Coats (8-7), 128-106, in their first game of the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase at the Orange County Convention Center on Friday evening.

The Warriors were led by forward Kevin Knox II, who notched his third double-double of the season with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Two-way guard Pat Spencer contributed 16 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in his second game of the season with Santa Cruz, and forward Jackson Rowe added 11 points and seven rebounds. Two-way center Quinten Post rounded out the offense with 10 points and 10 rebounds to secure his fourth double-double in 10 games with the Sea Dubs.

Forward Jordan Tucker came off the bench to lead the Blue Coats with 25 points, and forward Justin Edwards followed closely behind with 20 points. Forward Isaiah Mobley (16 points, 11 rebounds) and guard Jarron Cumberland (14 points, 10 rebounds) recorded double-doubles for Delaware, and guards Patrick McCaw and Judah Mintz logged 14 points apiece. 

Spencer opened the contest with a quick shot from behind the arc as both teams traded blows throughout the frame, but Delaware ultimately came out on top by capitalizing on a Warriors lull to piece together an 8-0 run and end the quarter with a 32-23 lead against the Sea Dubs. Santa Cruz countered early in the second period with back-to-back three-pointers from Spencer and forward Donta Scott to bring the Warriors within five points, but the Blue Coats outscored the Sea Dubs 13-2 in the final four minutes of the half to enter the break with a 63-49 advantage. 

Delaware came out firing in the second half to extend their lead to 19 points before Spencer found a cutting Post for an emphatic dunk to bring the Warriors offense to life. Santa Cruz continued to pick up steam midway through the third quarter as Rowe led the charge with a driving dunk and a corner three on back-to-back possessions to cap off an 8-0 run and narrow the deficit to 10 points. Knox closed out his 15-point performance in the third quarter with a cutting lay-up to bring the Warriors within single-digits once more, and Santa Cruz entered the final frame trailing 90-81. An untimely scoring drought for the Sea Dubs gave the Blue Coats an opportunity to pull further ahead, and Delaware took advantage to lead by as many as 29 points with just under three minutes left to play. Despite their best efforts, the Warriors were unable to close the gap, and Santa Cruz fell to Delaware, 128-106, in their first of two games in the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will face the Windy City Bulls at 4 p.m. PST on Saturday, December 21 in their final game of the 2024 NBA G League Winter Showcase before tipping off the regular season on the road with a back-to-back series against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on Friday, December 27, and Saturday, December 28. 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.