Santa Cruz Warriors Tame The Wolves, Taking Down Iowa 112-101

DES MOINES, IA - The Santa Cruz Warriors (5-0) pulled ahead early and never looked back on Tuesday night against the Wolves (1-4), claiming a 112-101 victory over Iowa at Wells Fargo Arena to maintain their perfect start to the regular season.

Santa Cruz saw six Warriors record double-digit scoring performances, and two-way center Quinten Post led the charge with a career-high 30 points, nine rebounds, two assists, & two steals while shooting 78.6% from the floor and 5-of-7 on three-point attempts. Guard Yuri Collins finished the game with 17 points, eight assists, and three rebounds, and forward Blake Hinson recorded 16 points and shot 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Forward Kevin Knox II earned his third double-double of the regular season, scoring 12 points and grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds. Forwards Javan Johnson and Jackson Rowe rounded out the scoring effort for Santa Cruz, scoring 12 points and 10 points, respectively.

Guard Trevor Keels and forward Nojel Eastern both finished the contest with a team-high 23 points, and Eastern added five rebounds, five steals, and three assists. Two-way guard Tristen Newton recorded 14 points, six assists, five rebounds, and three steals in his first appearance for the Wolves. Two-way center Jesse Edwards contributed 10 points and eight rebounds, and guard El Ellis capped off Iowa’s offense with 11 points, four assists, and two steals.  

The Santa Cruz Warriors overwhelmed Iowa for a majority of the first quarter, holding them to single-digit scoring and converting on the offensive end to take a 27-9 advantage with just over two minutes to play. A pair of threes from Post and Johnson in the final minute of the first quarter gave the Sea Dubs a 37-21 lead heading into the second period. A combined 4-of-4 three-point shooting from Post and Hinson expanded the lead to 24 points for the Warriors as the visitors pulled ahead, 53-29, with just over seven minutes remaining in the first half. The Sea Dubs held the Wolves to 33.3% shooting in the second quarter to curtail Iowa’s efforts at shrinking their deficit, and a putback layup from center Seth Maxwell with less than two seconds left on the clock gave Santa Cruz a 67-43 halftime advantage. Post stayed perfect through 24 minutes of action, going 8-of-8 from the floor and hitting four three-pointers to score 20 points in the first half and tie the team record for most points in a half this season. 

After scoring 30+ points in the first and second frames, the Warriors offense stalled in the second half, scoring just 18 points in the third quarter. Eleven Santa Cruz turnovers in the period allowed Iowa to chip away at the Warriors’ lead, cutting it to less than 20 points with 2:32 remaining. Five quick points from Eastern in the last 30 seconds of the third frame brought the home side within striking distance, and the Wolves closed the quarter narrowly trailing 85-72. Iowa opened the fourth quarter with a 12-5 run to make it a 90-84 ball game – the smallest Sea Dubs lead since the 7:58 mark in the first quarter. Collins provided some much-needed stability for the Warriors, scoring or assisting on 14 of the last 22 Santa Cruz points in the fourth quarter to help the Sea Dubs coast to a 112-101 victory and remain undefeated to start the regular season.

The Santa Cruz Warriors will travel to Arizona for a back-to-back series against the Valley Suns on Sunday, January 12, and Monday, January 13. The Sea Dubs will then return to Santa Cruz for their regular-season home opener against the Mexico City Capitanes on Friday, January 17 at 7:00 PM 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.