Sea Dubs Sink Sioux Falls Skyforce 110-103

SANTA CRUZ, CA - Behind 46 combined points from their two-way duo and a pair of double-doubles from the Sea Dub centers, the Santa Cruz Warriors (8-4) fended off a late-game comeback attempt by the Sioux Falls Skyforce (8-6) to secure a 110–103 victory on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

With a season-high seven three-pointers, two-way guard LJ Cryer led the Warriors with 25 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Two-way forward Malevy Leons followed close behind with 21 points and eight rebounds. Center Charles Bassey secured his fifth double-double of the season with 18 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Center Marques Bolden secured a double-double of his own with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Franco Miller Jr. came off the bench to record 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists for the Warriors. 

Two-way guard Jahmir Young led all scorers with 33 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and four steals. Guard Trevor Keels and guard Gabe Madson scored 13 points apiece, recording three steals and two steals, respectively. Recently acquired guard Dennis Smith Jr. came off the bench to log 13 points, six assists, and three steals.

The Santa Cruz Warriors established control early through the first 12 minutes of the contest, outmuscling the Skyforce 16-8 on the glass in the opening frame while holding Sioux Falls to 2-for-14 from behind the arc. With the game tied at 15 points apiece just over seven minutes into the contest, the Warriors initiated a three-minute 9-0 run and ended the first quarter ahead 26-20. The second period opened with sequential six-point swings as Miller Jr. knocked down a pair of three-pointers to put the Warriors ahead 36-22 at the 9:20 mark. Sioux Falls’ offensive woes continued as they missed all nine of their three-point attempts and logged just 16 points in the frame–the second-fewest points allowed in a quarter by the Warriors this season. Leons led the Warriors into halftime with a 51-36 advantage behind a team-high 12 points, eight of which came in the second quarter. 

After trailing by 20 points two minutes into the second half, Sioux Falls rattled off an 11-2 run to trim the margin to 11, 60-49, at the 7:45 mark of the third quarter. The Sea Dubs were quick with a rebuttal, hitting a barrage of three-pointers to reclaim a 73-52 gap with 5:00 left in the frame. Led by nine points from behind the arc by Madsen, the Skyforce had four players combine to log all 27 of their third-quarter points but continued to trail 80-63 heading into the fourth quarter. With the margin remaining at 17 points, 93-76, with 7:35 left to play, Sioux Falls scored 18 unanswered points to take their first lead since the first quarter, 94-93, at the 3:35 mark. The Warriors quickly reclaimed a seven-point advantage, 103-96, with 90 seconds left in the game thanks to a pair of much-needed threes from Bassey and Cryer. With Young notching 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting for the Skyforce in the fourth quarter, Santa Cruz shored up defensively across the closing possessions as Sioux Falls missed their final five shot attempts to claim the 110–103 victory.

The Warriors will face the Skyforce again tomorrow night, Saturday, January 24, for the second half of their weekend series (7 p.m PT tip-off). Vote your favorite Santa Cruz Warriors into the 2026 NBA G League Next Up Game presented by AT&T by CLICKING HERE before polls close on Friday, January 30. 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.