Santa Cruz Warriors Overcome Ignite, 121-112

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Warriors (3-0) defeated the NBA G League Ignite (0-4), 121-112, on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena in front of a sold-out crowd. 

Forward Gui Santos, on assignment from Golden State, led the Warriors with 29 points and added seven rebounds. Two-way guard Lester Quinones added an additional 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and both guard Kendric Davis and forward Jackson Rowe finished the night with 15 points to cap off the Sea Dubs win. 

The NBA G League Ignite were led by guards John Jenkins and Jeremy Pargo, who combined for 39 of the visiting team’s 112 total points. Forward Tyler Smith came off the bench to contribute 19 points in his fourth straight double-digit scoring effort of the season.

The contest went back-and-forth throughout the first quarter and featured eight ties. A dunk from Warriors center Trayce Jackson-Davis, on assignment from Golden State, with less than two minutes remaining in the frame gave the Sea Dubs a slim lead, but the Ignite managed to tie the game at 28 to close the quarter. After much back-and-forth competition throughout the second quarter, a driving layup from forward Ronald Holland II with 0.7 seconds remaining in the second frame helped the Ignite secure a 65-56 lead at the half. 

The second half saw the Sea Dubs starters return, but despite a strong offensive showing from Quinones, G League Ignite managed to maintain the advantage throughout the third quarter and close it out with an 89-83 lead. The fourth quarter saw Quinones and Rowe working to close the gap and tie the score at 101 with 6:43 left in the period. Nine straight points from Santos gave the Warriors their biggest lead of the game, and after making several key defensive stops down the final stretch, the Sea Dubs managed to fight their way to a 121-112 comeback win.  

The Santa Cruz Warriors will now travel to Henderson, NV for a rematch with the G League Ignite on Sunday, November 19 at 2 p.m. PT. The Warriors return home to face the Rip City Remix on Friday, December 1 at 7 p.m. PT at Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz, CA. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a Graduation Stephen Curry bobblehead. 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.