Santa Cruz Warriors Fall To Valley Suns In 121-118 Overtime Loss 

TEMPE, AZ - The Santa Cruz Warriors (4-5) lose in overtime to the Valley Suns (8-3), 121-118, at Mullett Arena on Thursday night.

Forward Javan Johnson led the Warriors with a season-high 22 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting, and forward Kevin Knox II followed closely behind with 20 points and nine rebounds. Guard Yuri Collins recorded his third double-double of the season, finishing with 11 points, a game-high 14 assists, and three steals. Two-way guard Reece Beekman and forward Jackson Rowe contributed 16 points apiece. Guard Marcus Burk and forward Blake Hinson scored 25 combined points off the bench, notching 15 points and 10 points, respectively. 

Guard Paul Watson led all scorers with 29 points, and guard David Stockton finished with 18 points and four assists. Guard Cassius Stanley contributed 16 points and five rebounds off the bench for the Valley. Forward Tyrese Samuel (14 points), guard Jaden Shackelford (12 points), and forward Moses Wood (11 points) rounded out the Suns’ scoring efforts. 

The Warriors started the game red-hot, connecting on their first six field goal attempts to jump out to a 16-5 lead. The Valley closed the gap to as little as nine points with 4:03 left to play, but nine turnovers from the Suns in the opening quarter, coupled with 7-of-14 shooting from behind the arc by Santa Cruz, gave the Warriors a 38-24 lead after the first 12 minutes of play. Six points from Knox in the first four minutes of the second quarter gave the visiting Sea Dubs a 19-point advantage – their largest lead of the game. David Stockton and Cassius Stanley combined for 18 points in the second quarter to help the Suns slowly chip away at their deficit, and a trio of three-pointers brought the home side within six points as the first half came to a close. However, a made free throw from Reece Beekman with 0.7 seconds remaining gave Santa Cruz a 67-58 edge heading into halftime.

The Warriors and Suns exchanged baskets for the first seven minutes of the second half, scoring 19 points and 16 points, respectively. After trailing by 14 points with 3:45 left in the third quarter, the Suns rattled off an 8-0 run to make it a 90-84 ball game. Javan Johnson’s sixth three-pointer of the game halted the Valley’s attack and helped Santa Cruz take a 10-point advantage into the final frame. The Suns started the final period with a 14-0 run to take their first advantage of the game, leading 102-98 with just under six minutes left to play. The Suns expanded their lead to eight points with 3:18 left in the game, but the Warriors orchestrated a 10-2 run to tie the score at 114 at the end of regulation, forcing the game into overtime. Seven points from Jaden Shackelford in overtime allowed the Suns to reach the target score first, and the Warriors narrowly lost the match-up, 121-118.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will travel to Portland, Oregon for a pair of games against the Rip City Remix on Saturday, December 7 and Monday, December 9. The Sea Dubs will then return to Santa Cruz for a back-to-back series against the San Diego Clippers on Saturday, December 14 and Sunday, December 15 to close out the Tip-Off Tournament. 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.