Santa Cruz Warriors Overcome Ontario Clippers, 123-114
By Santa Cruz Warriors Staff /February 6, 2023
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February 3, 2023
The Santa Cruz Warriors (6-8) beat the Ontario Clippers (9-8), 123-114, on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena in front of a sold-out crowd.
Guard Lester Quinones led the Sea Dubs with 26 points and four rebounds. Center Jayce Johnson shined with 20 rebounds and seven points. Guard Dusty Hannahs notched 20 points and guard Jordan Schakel contributed 20 points and seven rebounds off the bench to Santa Cruz’s victory.
The Clippers were led by forward Greg Brown III with 22 points and five rebounds. Guard Xavier Moon had 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists, and guard Keaton Wallace contributed 14 points and 10 assists for Ontario tonight.
Kicking off the contest with a free throw by guard Eli Pemberton, the Sea Dubs took an early lead against Ontario, leading by as many as eight points. With five minutes left in the first quarter, the Clippers tied the frame at 21. The Clippers held a slight lead for much of the quarter, but Santa Cruz responded, closing the frame tied at 35. Ontario pulled ahead at the start of the second frame, but the Sea Dubs answered, regaining the lead and starting a back-and-forth that would last the remainder of the quarter. After nine lead changes in the second quarter, Santa Cruz took a 65-58 lead into halftime after a Quinones 3-point buzzer-beater to end the second quarter.
The Warriors extended their lead by as many as 17 points to open the second half and maintained a 96-81 lead over the Clippers heading into the final frame. Santa Cruz extended their advantage to as many as 20 points early in the fourth quarter, however the Clippers closed the lead to just 10 points with less than one minute remaining in the contest. The Clippers continued to close the lead, bringing the score to 119-114 with 29 seconds left on the clock. Santa Cruz held on to secure the win, 123-114, over Ontario.
The Warriors will now travel to Wisconsin to face the Herd on Tuesday, February 7 at 4 p.m. PST at Oshkosh Arena. To purchase tickets or for more information on the Santa Cruz Warriors, visit santacruzbasketball.com or call (831) 713-4400.