South Bay Falls to Delaware in Semifinals of Showcase Cup Tournament
By South Bay Lakers Staff /December 22, 2021
In the semifinals of the 2021 G League Winter Showcase Cup Tournament, the South Bay Lakers (fourth seed) fell to the Delaware Blue Coats (first seed), 122-108, on Tuesday at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. All Blue Coats starters scored in double figures to help Delaware advance to the finals of the Showcase Cup Tournament.
The Blue Coats came out firing from the jump, opening the game on a quick 12-3 run. South Bay would fight back thanks to Cameron Oliver’s strong start with nine points and five rebounds, but Delaware starters Braxton Key (nine points, four rebounds) and Jarron Cumberland (nine points, four assists) propelled the Blue Coats to a 34-26 lead after 12 minutes of play.
Big man Paris Bass led the fight back in the second quarter for the Lakers with an efficient 10 points on 4-5 field-goal shooting. Lamine Diane came in strong off the bench for Delaware, however, and his 13 points in the quarter helped the Blue Coats maintain a four-point lead at the half, 59-55.
Delaware opened up the game in the third quarter, using a 17-4 run out of the break to extend their lead to 17. The Blue Coats combatted a few South Bay runs in the quarter to hold a commanding 94-78 lead going into the final frame.
The Lakers put up a fight in the fourth quarter, forcing the Blue Coats to call a quick timeout after a Cameron Oliver three-pointer cut the lead to 10. Despite another strong push by South Bay, Delaware’s starters would come back into the game and hold on for the victory, 122-108.
Oliver’s career-night with 27 points and 15 rebounds was complemented by Paris Bass, who posted a career-high 29 points and 13 rebounds and Nate Pierre-Louis, who tallied a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds.
With the win, Delaware advances to the finals of the NBA G League Winter Showcase Cup Tournament to take on the Oklahoma City Blue on Wednesday, December 22 at 2:00 P.M. PT at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
The South Bay Lakers will return to action on Monday, December 27 as they host the Oklahoma City Blue at 7:00 P.M. PT at the UCLA Health Training Center in the opener of the 36-game regular season.