Sea Dubs Reserves Lift Santa Cruz To 134-116 Victory Over Memphis Hustle

SOUTHAVEN, MS - Bolstered by 70 points off the bench, the Santa Cruz Warriors (10-9) pulled ahead by 21 in the second quarter and coasted to a 134-116 victory over the Memphis Hustle (4-16) on Thursday night at the Landers Center to split the back-to-back series.

For the second game in a row, guard Deivon Smith set a new career-high in scoring, logging 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. Guard Franco Miller Jr., guard Taevion Kinsey, and forward Jacksen Moni all contributed 17 points for the Warriors, with Miller Jr. and Moni notching 7 rebounds apiece. Guard Desmond Cambridge Jr., forward Ja’Vier Francis, and guard Chance McMillian each came off the bench to score 10 points for Santa Cruz.

Guard Nate Hinton led the Hustle with a 29-point, 13-rebound double-double. Forward Tyler Burton hit six three-pointers to record 27 points and six rebounds, and forward Eric Dixon followed closely behind with 24 points and three steals. Guard DeJon Jarreau came off the bench to log 19 points and six assists, while forward Charlie Brown Jr. contributed 12 points and eight rebounds. 

The Warriors held the Hustle to just seven points over the first seven minutes to jump ahead 12-7 midway through the opening frame. Burton supplied the majority of the home side's first-quarter scoring, accounting for 14 of Memphis’ 20 points in the period, while the rest of the roster shot a combined 3-for-19 from the floor. Santa Cruz closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to enter the second ahead 28-20. The Sea Dubs erupted for eight three-pointers in the second quarter—the most in a single frame this season—ballooning their margin to as much as 21 points, 68-47, at the 1:50 mark. Building on his career-high debut in yesterday’s game, Smith nailed a trio of shots from behind the arc to help Santa Cruz match a season-high 43 points in the second quarter, taking a 71-54 lead into halftime.

A 16-4 Memphis run midway through the third quarter cut the Warriors' lead to nine, 85-76. However, Santa Cruz responded with seven unanswered points to quickly reestablish a 16-point cushion. Behind a balanced attack that saw nine players score in the frame, the Warriors neutralized a 21-point quarter from Dixon and Hinton to maintain a 103-88 lead heading into the fourth. Sparked by 16 points from Smith, the Santa Cruz reserves accounted for 25 of the team’s 31 fourth-quarter points to secure the 18-point win. Memphis managed to cut the deficit to 15 on three separate occasions in the final four minutes behind 12 points from Hinton, but the Hustle could get no closer as Santa Cruz held firm to claim the 134-116 victory.

The Warriors will travel to Portland to face the Rip City Remix for a pair of games on Sunday, February 22, and Tuesday, February 24. 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.