Santa Cruz Warriors Surge Past South Bay, Defeating the Lakers 128-118

SANTA CRUZ, CA - The Santa Cruz Warriors (2-1) held off South Bay (1-1) to claim a 128-118 victory in front of their 21st consecutive sellout crowd at Kaiser Permanente Arena on Friday night.

Santa Cruz’s starting five handled a majority of the offensive workload, scoring a combined 89 points for the Sea Dubs. Forward Kevin Knox II finished with a team-high 24 points, shooting 4-of-7 from behind the arc. Rookie two-way center Quinten Post recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 16 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Starting guard Yuri Collins (18 points), forward Jackson Rowe (16 points), and forward Gui Santos (15 points), on assignment from Golden State, all notched double-digit scoring performances by the end of the third quarter.

Two-way guard Quincy Olivari led the Lakers on offense, finishing with 33 points after a scoreless first quarter. South Bay guards Marlain Veal and DaJuan Gordon both had productive nights off the bench, scoring 23 points apiece. Starting forward Alex Fudge recorded 17 points, shooting 6-of-8 on the night. 

The Warriors quickly found their stride at the start of the contest, limiting the Lakers to 16 points on 30.4% shooting and recording 16 points in the paint to close out the first quarter with a 36-16 advantage. In the second quarter, South Bay responded quickly to narrow the gap to as little as four points. Despite a 16-point quarter from Olivari, the Warriors held on to lead 61-54 at the half. 

Santa Cruz continued to fend off the Lakers in the third quarter, which was punctuated by two statement dunks from Rowe in the final minutes of the period that brought the entire arena to their feet and gave the Warriors a 99-89 lead entering the final frame. A 16-3 South Bay run reduced the Warriors lead to 113-107 with less than five minutes remaining, but 11 fourth-quarter points from forward Blake Hinson pushed Santa Cruz across the finish line and sealed the 126-113 Sea Dubs victory. 

Santa Cruz Warriors postgame media availability can be found on the official Santa Cruz Warriors SoundCloud.

The Warriors will hit the road for the first time this season, taking on the Stockton Kings on Wednesday, November 20. After a back-to-back series in Salt Lake City against the Stars on Friday, November 22, and Saturday, November 23, the Warriors return to Santa Cruz to host the Stars on Friday, November 29, at 7 p.m. at Kaiser Permanente Arena. 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.