Offensive explosion, as Warriors outlast Heat 178-137
June 3, 2006 - World Basketball Association (WBA)
Cartersville Warriors News Release
Offense was the order of the day, as a total of 315 points were scored in Cartersville's 178-137 win over the Anderson Heat on Friday night at JH Morgan Gym in Cartersville.
In typical fashion, the Warriors started out slow, trailing by as many as eight in the first quarter. Jonathan Small and BJ Puckett both sank long threes to help the Heat's cause early, scoring nine and eight, respectively in the quarter. The Warriors regrouped and made a run to overtake the lead at 36-33 at the end of the first stanza. Mike Dean came off the bench to hit nine and Anthony Witherspoon downed eight in period for Cartersville.
In the second, the Warriors warmed up with defensive pressure, creating quick transition buckets by Bobby Brown and Leroy Davis. Dale Miller led the surge, tallying four points, three steals and two assists in the run that saw the Warriors take a 73-56 spread into the half. Smalls hit eight in the quarter to keep things interesting for the Heat.
It looked as if the Heat would roll over, as Cartersville built an 86-64 point cushion at the mid-point of the third period. But, the Heat had other plans, as Antonio Mack and newly acquired Rod Ashmore both heated up. Mack drilled three consecutive mid-range jumpers, while Ashmore drained a three and got a couple of put-backs to cap a 17-4 run that trimmed Cartersville's lead to 90-81. Behind the steady rebounding and interior scoring of Antoine Broxsie, the Warriors began to stabilize, but not before the Heat had managed to cut the lead down to seven at one point. Broxsie also had six point in the quarter. Heading into the, the Warriors led 104-93.
Behind Leroy Davis, Darius Wade and Rey Luque, the Warriors went on a 44-9 tear in the opening minutes of the final stanza. The Heat seemingly became fatigued and Wade spearheaded the defensive pressure that created quick buckets for Davis and Luque. In the run, Davis canned 14 and Luque got free for 11 points. Delvin Thomas also had 10 in the push. The Warriors weren't done in the period though, as a fresh five entered to notched another 34 points. Witherspoon, who earned his first start as a pro, re-entered to pour in 16 more points, including four treys and Mike Dean chalked up 13 more in the final minutes. In the final minutes, Roy Binion took advantage of a relaxed Warrior defense while drilling five threes, to go along with Ashmore's long bombs. The Warriors outscored Anderson 74-44 in the fourth quarter.
In the game, Anderson shot 17 of 41 from the three point line, while Cartersville hit 19 of 34 from beyond the arc, including 11 of 16 (68%) in the second half. Cartersville scored 105 points, on 44 of 66 shooting (67%) after intermission, while Anderson downed 81, on 33 of 64 (52%) from the field.
Despite a depleted roster, Heat Head Coach Embry Malone did a respectable job of keeping his troops motivated to play. Roy Binion led the way with 37 points, while BJ Puckett turned a huge effort with 33 points and 24 rebounds. Also, Jonathan Smalls and Rod Ashmore both finished with 20 points for the Heat.
For Cartersville, Dean came off the bench in this one to chalk up 38 points, while Witherspoon drilled six threes on his way to 26 points. Leroy Davis woke up to down 21, as Bobby Brown had 20. Antoine Broxsie recorded yet another double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Ron Dokes came off the bench for 18 points, Rey Luke had a huge night with 17 points, eight assists, while Delvin Thomas chipped in with 15. Rounding out the scoring was Dale Miller with four. Darius Wade (12 assists) and Anthony Slater (11 assists) did not have to score on this night, as they combined for 23 assists.
The Heat (0-12) move on to host the Rome Gladiators on Saturday night. The Warriors, now 9-3, prepare to welcome the Mississippi HardHats to town on Saturday night at Cass High School. The HardHats, the number one team in the WBA this year at 10-1, are the 2005 runner-ups. Tip off is set for 7pm.
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World Basketball Association Stories from June 3, 2006
- Offensive explosion, as Warriors outlast Heat 178-137 - Cartersville Warriors
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