Sea Dubs Falter In The Fourth, Losing 112-103 To San Diego Clippers

OCEANSIDE, CA - Cryer, Bolden, and Leons combined for 63 points as the Santa Cruz Warriors (1-12) dropped their penultimate Tip-Off Tournament game, 112-103, to the San Diego Clippers (8-4) on Saturday night at Frontwave Arena.

Two-way guard LJ Cryer notched his sixth consecutive 20-plus point performance, leading the Warriors with 24 points and six assists. Center Marques Bolden recorded a 20-point, 14-rebound double-double, his fourth of the season. Two-way forward Malevy Leons, in his debut game for Santa Cruz, tallied 19 points, five assists, and two steals, and guard Taevion Kinsey contributed 15 points on 6-of-11 field goal shooting.

Forward Patrick Baldwin Jr. led the Clippers with 21 points and three steals, while two-way guard RayJ Dennis came off the bench to record 15 points and four steals. Center Yanic Konan Niederhauser, on assignment from the Los Angeles Clippers, finished the game with 12 points and seven rebounds. Guard Jason Preston shot 4-of-8 from the floor to record 13 points and five rebounds, and forward Jahmyl Telfort notched 10 points for the home side. 

The two sides entered the contest with differing offensive game plans, as the Clippers scored 10 of their first 12 points in the paint while the Sea Dubs used a trio of early three-pointers to take a narrow 14-12 lead five minutes in. San Diego was held scoreless for four minutes in the heart of the opening frame, and a step-back shot from deep by Cryer gave Santa Cruz its largest lead of the first half, 21-14, with 2:51 remaining. The Sea Dubs outscored the Clippers by 15 points from behind the arc (shooting 6-of-12 on 3FGA) to claim a 27-21 advantage after 12 minutes of action. The second quarter saw a scoring outburst from both sides, with each shooting over 60% from the floor through the first six minutes, while eight early points from Bolden allowed the Sea Dubs to retain a 44-41 margin. Santa Cruz’s 12 first-half turnovers allowed the home side to briefly claim a one-possession lead with just over a minute left in the second frame, but five unanswered points by Cryer instantly restored a 55-53 advantage for the Sea Dubs heading into halftime.

San Diego was able to edge ahead by one point early in the third quarter, but Cryer continued to be Santa Cruz’s offensive maestro, scoring eight-straight points to recoup a two-possession advantage. The Sea Dubs’ stout defense limited the Clippers to 0-of-9 shooting from behind the arc, and seven Warriors with a made basket in the frame kept the home side in the Sea Dubs’ rear view for a majority of the period. However, a driving layup with three seconds left on the clock from Dennis gave San Diego a narrow 86-84 lead heading into the fourth quarter. A 6-0 run spearheaded by Leons for the Warriors to open the final frame was answered by a 10-0 run from San Diego to pull ahead by six points, 96-90 with 8:19 left in the game. After hitting 50% of their 26 attempts from behind the arc through the first three quarters, the Sea Dubs shot 1-of-10 on three-pointers as they continued to trail 106-97 with just under three minutes to play. Santa Cruz was unable to initiate a late-game surge and fell to the Clippers 112-103 in their first of two games against San Diego. 

The Warriors will close out the Tip-Off Tournament tomorrow night, Sunday, December 14, in San Diego with the second half of their back-to-back set against the Clippers (6 p.m. PT tip-off). 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@goldenstate.com, or visit santacruzbasketball.com for more information.