Santa Cruz Warriors Overthrow Stockton Kings In Overtime, 121-112

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Warriors (10-4) defeated the Stockton Kings (4-10), 121-112, on Saturday evening at Kaiser Permanente Arena in front of a sold-out crowd.  

Two-way guard Lester Quinones ended the night with a team-high 26 points and 13 rebounds, securing his first double-double of the season. Guard Kendric Davis followed with 21 points while two-way center Usman Garuba notched his fifth double-double of the season, contributing 15 points with 11 rebounds. Guard Pat Spencer led all bench players, scoring 12 points on an efficient 5-of-7 from the field. 

The Kings were led by guard Jordan Ford with a game-high 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting. Forward Jeremy Lamb contributed 22 points with a team-high six assists, and guard Stanley Johnson rounded out the scoring with 16 points for Stockton.

The Kings opened the game on a 14-2 run and capitalized on the home side's slow start to push ahead and lead Santa Cruz by 18 points. The Warriors continued to struggle offensively throughout the first quarter, logging eight turnovers quickly as Stockton shot 7-of-13 from three-point range to end the opening frame with a 33-19 lead. The Sea Dubs made critical defensive adjustments in the second quarter to keep the Kings to zero successful three-point makes, while the Santa Cruz bench combined for 21 of the team’s 50 first-half points. Despite the Warriors’ hard-fought effort to narrow the gap to just four points in the second frame, Stockton managed to maintain their lead and enter the break with a 59-50 advantage. 

 Guard Donovan Williams ignited the team with his chase-down block on Ford in the third frame, and Davis hit a last-second fast-break layup to cut the deficit to eight points going into the fourth quarter. Back-to-back layups from Quinones and Santos with 9:41 remaining in the game cut Stockton’s lead to just three points, 90-87. A three-point shot from Quinones off a Stockton turnover tied the game at 90, and a driving layup from Davis followed to give the Warriors a 92-90 advantage and their first lead of the game. The contest was tied at 112 with five lead changes in the remainder of regulation play to send the game into overtime with a seven-point target score. The Sea Dubs dominated in overtime behind points from Davis, Garuba, and Santos, securing the 121-112 win over the visiting Stockton Kings. 

  The Santa Cruz Warriors now head to Orlando for the 2023 NBA G League Winter Showcase, having clinched the top spot in the West pod in the eight-team Showcase Cup tournament. These top eight teams will play in a single-elimination tournament with the winner and runners-up competing for a trophy and a monetary prize pool. The remaining G League teams who do not qualify to compete for the Showcase Cup Championship will each play an additional two games at Winter Showcase. Follow the NBA G League website to stay up-to-date with the schedule. For more information on Santa Cruz Warriors tickets or merchandise, please visit santacruzbasketball.com.