Santa Cruz Warriors Fall To South Bay Lakers, 120-117

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Warriors (18-14) fell to the South Bay Lakers (18-14), 120-117, on Wednesday evening at Kaiser Permanente Arena.  

Forward Jackson Rowe led the Warriors with a career-high 30 points and added 15 rebounds. Guard Donovan Williams followed closely with 26 points, and guard Kendric Davis added 13 points, six rebounds, and 13 assists. Two-way center Usman Garuba rounded out the offensive effort with 12 points and nine rebounds. 

Forward Bryce Hamilton led both teams in scoring with 43 points and added eight rebounds, and guard Damion Baugh added 38 points and seven rebounds. Forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon collected 19 points, and center Joirdon Nicholas notched 10 points and six rebounds.  

Both teams battled in a competitive first quarter that saw seven lead changes. Back-to-back threes from Rowe gave the Warriors a 19-16 lead with less than six minutes remaining. Despite 15 first-quarter points from Baugh, the Sea Dubs closed the frame with the advantage, 33-29. The Warriors extended their lead to as many as eight points in the second quarter, but South Bay regained control, 56-55, with less than three minutes in the frame. The Sea Dubs reclaimed the lead in the final minutes to close the half with the lead, 61-58. 

South Bay opened the second half with a 14-2 run and weathered a brief lead change to widen the gap by as many as 13 points before ending the third quarter with a 97-86 lead over the Warriors. However, Santa Cruz orchestrated a 16-2 run in the fourth quarter to regain a 102-99 lead. Both teams continued to battle down the stretch before back-to-back three-pointers from Rowe pushed the Warriors ahead, 113-108, with less than five minutes remaining. The Lakers regained control in the final minutes to fend off Santa Cruz and come away with a 120-117 win.  

The Santa Cruz Warriors will now travel to Portland, Oregon to take on the Rip City Remix in a back-to-back series on Friday, March 29 at 6 p.m. (PT) and Saturday, March 30 at 3 p.m. (PT) in the team’s regular season finale. 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 or visit santacruzbasketball.com for more information.