Warriors Withstand Rip City Rumble, Besting The Remix 118-113

PORTLAND, OR - With Bolden and Williams combining for 59 points and Smith logging the Warriors’ first triple-double of the season, the Santa Cruz Warriors (11-9) claimed a 118-113 wire-to-wire victory over the Rip City Remix (13-10) on Sunday afternoon at the Chiles Center.

Guard Deivon Smith filled up the stat sheet, finishing with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists. Center Marques Bolden notched a pair of new career-highs with 30 points and 8 three-pointers. Two-way guard Nate Williams, in his debut game with Santa Cruz, tallied 29 points and six rebounds. Guard Chance McMillian came off the bench to score 14 points, and two-way forward Malevy Leons logged 11 points and six rebounds.

Two-way guard Javonte Cooke led the Remix with 33 points and eight rebounds, while two-way guard Caleb Love logged 25 points. Center Yang Hansen, on assignment from the Trail Blazers, notched a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Coming off the bench for the Remix, forward/center Alex Reese had 10 points and 11 rebounds. Guard Jaylen Martin and forward Jayson Kent both finished with 12 points apiece.

Bolden knocked down six early three-pointers to guide the Warriors to a 21-7 lead at the 7:19 mark of the first quarter. However, a 23-11 Remix run narrowed the Warriors' margin to two points, 32-30, after 12 minutes of play, with Portland outscoring Santa Cruz by 12 in the paint. Led by nine points from McMillian, the Sea Dubs burst into the second quarter on a 15-2 run to expand the gap to 15, 47-32, with 7:08 left until halftime. An additional nine points in the closing minutes of the frame from Leons kept the Warriors out in front, 65-49, heading into intermission.

With Rip City cutting the deficit to single digits, 75-67, halfway through the third quarter, the Sea Dubs scored nine unanswered points to balloon their advantage back to 17 with 3:26 left in the period. The Warriors withstood a 1-for-12 shooting performance from deep in the third, maintaining a 12-point advantage, 90-78, heading into the final period. The Remix surged into the fourth quarter on a 19-10 run to make it a one-possession contest, 100-97, for the first time since the start of the second frame. Santa Cruz instantly responded with a 13-2 swing of their own to reclaim a 14-point advantage with just under three minutes left to play. A quarter-high 17 points from Cooke was not enough to topple the Warriors as the Sea Dubs held on to claim the 118-113 victory over the Rip City Remix.

The Warriors will close out their five-game road trip with a rematch against the Remix at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday, February 24, before returning home to face the San Diego Clippers on Friday, February 27. 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.