Santa Cruz Warriors Lose 101-99 In First Half of Back-To-Back Series Against Salt Lake City Stars

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT - The Santa Cruz Warriors (2-3) drop the first match-up of their back-to-back series against the Salt Lake City Stars (3-3), 101-99, at the Maverik Center on Friday night.

For the third game in a row, forward Kevin Knox II led the Warriors with 20 points. After tying his career-high with 12 assists against Stockton last game, guard Yuri Collins recorded a career-best 14 dimes while scoring nine points. Two-way center Quinten Post finished the contest with 19 points, connecting on a season-high four three-pointers in the first half. In his first game back from injury, two-way guard Reece Beekman recorded 13 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists off the bench.

Guard Max Abmas finished the contest with a game-high 24 points, hitting 5-of-9 from behind the arc while recording eight assists. Two-way center Oscar Tshiebwe recorded 10 points and 19 rebounds. Two-way forward David Jones, two-way forward Micah Potter, and guard Isaiah Wong rounded out the scoring for the home team, recording 17 points, 14 points, and 11 points, respectively.

A trio of made threes from Post and Collins allowed the Warriors to jump out to an early 11-2 lead just over three minutes into the contest. The Stars held the Sea Dubs to just two points over the next six minutes and managed a run of their own, taking a 18-13 advantage with 3:17 left in the frame. Post regained the upper hand for Santa Cruz, scoring seven straight points to give the visitors a three-point advantage going into the second quarter. The Warriors kept their momentum going, opening the second period on an 11-4 run. Salt Lake City was able to narrow the gap to as little as five points, but back-to-back threes from Joey Calcaterra gave the Sea Dubs a 42-31 edge with just under five minutes left in the half. Santa Cruz’s staunch defense held the Stars to a season-low 41 points in the first half, and a pair of and-one conversions from forward Donta Scott and two-way guard Reece Beekman gave the Warriors a 17-point lead heading into the locker room at halftime.

After shooting 28.3% from the field in the first half, the Stars connected on 9-of-11 field goals to make it a 68-65 ball game with 7:46 remaining in the quarter. Santa Cruz was able to stay in the driver’s seat, expanding their lead to 11 points with 90 seconds remaining before Stars guard Isaiah Wong made it a two-possession game with an and-one field goal to end the third period. After forcing a shot clock violation on the final Stars possession of the game, Santa Cruz was unable to connect on two three-point attempts, and Salt Lake City beat the Warriors, 101-99, in the first game of their back-to-back series.

The Warriors will face the Stars again tomorrow night, Saturday, November 23 before returning to Santa Cruz to host Salt Lake City on Friday, November 29 at 7 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente Arena. 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.