Santa Cruz Warriors Navigate Close Win To Sweep The Birmingham Squadron, 107-98

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The Santa Cruz Warriors (16-12) marched past the Birmingham Squadron (11-19) with a 107-98 victory to clinch the series sweep at Legacy Arena at the BJCC on Sunday afternoon.

    Two-way forward Braxton Key led the Warriors in scoring with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and two-way forward Jackson Rowe followed closely with 18 points and six rebounds. Guard Yuri Collins finished the game with 16 points and 13 assists. Forward Donta Scott contributed 17 points and seven boards off the bench, and forward Blake Hinson collected 15 points and five rebounds. Two-way guard Taran Armstrong rounded out the offensive effort with 12 points, seven rebounds, and five assists.

    Guard Jalen Crutcher led both teams in scoring with a game-high 22 points and nine assists for Birmingham. Forward Josh Oduro added 19 points and eight rebounds, and two-way guard Lester Quinones scored 17 points with eight assists. Two-way forward Keion Brooks Jr. finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. 

    The Squadron came out firing to take an early 17-10 advantage four minutes into the contest. Despite the strong start from their opponents, the Warriors continued to put points on the board and eventually overtook the home team, 26-25, with 4:32 left in the first quarter. The Sea Dubs remained in control with the help of 12 points from Rowe to close the frame leading 38-33. Birmingham took advantage of a Santa Cruz offensive lull in the second period to bridge the gap, but the Warriors quickly snapped out of their slump with a 12-2 run to push right back in front, 53-41, with 4:50 remaining in the half. The Squadron clawed their way back with eight straight points in the final stretch of the frame, but a three-pointer from Hinson secured the last bucket of the quarter and kept the Sea Dubs ahead, 58-53, entering the halftime break. 

    Birmingham kept their offensive momentum going in the third quarter with back-to-back three-point shots from Crutcher to snatch a one-point lead for the home team. The Squadron followed up with an 11-0 run to extend their advantage to 70-60 six minutes into the frame. Key broke the silence for the Warriors by scoring four of the next nine Santa Cruz points to bring the visitors within five points with 2:37 remaining in the third period. The Sea Dubs offense continued to flow as the Warriors scored eight straight points inside the paint to take a 77-76 lead, but the Squadron managed to log the last points of the quarter to enter the final frame narrowly ahead, 79-77. The Warriors stayed aggressive on offense in the fourth period, consistently driving to the rim to reclaim control of the match-up and push their advantage to 91-84 with 7:10 left in the contest. Collins drained back-to-back three-pointers and Key followed with a driving layup to carve a pathway to victory for Santa Cruz, putting the Sea Dubs ahead, 99-88, with just 4:41 remaining on the clock. The home team fought to swing the momentum in their favor, but the Warriors held strong through the final buzzer to clinch the series sweep over the Squadron with a 107-98 victory. 

    The Santa Cruz Warriors will stay on the road for a pair of games against the Texas Legends on Tuesday, March 18, and Thursday, March 20. Tip-off for both games against the Legends is 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.