Santa Cruz Warriors Overcome Ontario Clippers, 118-117

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Warriors (3-5) beat the Ontario Clippers (3-6), 118-117 on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena in front of a sold-out crowd. 

Forward Donovan Williams led the Warriors with 28 points, and guard Pat Spencer followed closely with a career-high 26 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists. Two-way center Usman Garuba notched a double-double in the win, finishing the night with 15 points and 12 rebounds.  

On assignment from the Los Angeles Clippers, guard Brandon Boston Jr. led Ontario with 34 points and added six rebounds and seven assists. Forward Kobe Brown, also on assignment from the Los Angeles Clippers, finished the night with 21 points and eight rebounds and center Bryson Williams closed out with 13 points and five rebounds.  

The Warriors opened the contest with a 9-4 advantage, but a fast-paced Clippers offense allowed the visitors to quickly catch up before outpacing Santa Cruz to end the quarter with a 29-21 lead. The second frame began with a 7-0 Sea Dubs run to close the Clippers lead to just one point, 29-28, with 10:28 remaining in the quarter. The two teams stayed competitive throughout the frame, and 10 second-quarter points from Spencer along with back-to-back three-pointers from forwards Jackson Rowe and Gui Santos gave the Warriors a 50-46 lead. A steal from Ontario guard Armoni Brooks led to a jump shot from guard Joshua Primo, giving the Clippers a 61-57 advantage at the half.  

Ontario continued to lead throughout the third period until a Spencer three-pointer brought the Warriors within one point of the Clippers, 85-84, to close out the frame. The fourth quarter began with Santa Cruz slowly chipping away at Ontario’s lead until a layup from Rowe tied the score at 95 with 8:05 remaining in the period. The contest continued to stay competitive throughout the rest of the final frame, with a Kendric Davis three-pointer and Williams and-one basket allowing the Warriors to regain the lead with 3:36 remaining on the clock. Despite a late-game run from Ontario, Santa Cruz managed to hang on to their lead and seal the game with a narrow 118-117 win.  

The Warriors will once again face the Ontario Clippers at Kaiser Permanente Arena tomorrow night at 7 p.m. (PT). The first 1,000 fans in attendance on Saturday night will receive a Latino Heritage Los Warriors T-Shirt. 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.