South Bay Falls to Santa Cruz in Back-and-Forth Battle

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. –Coming off a dramatic victory in Santa Cruz on Sunday, the South Bay Lakers (8-5), the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Lakers, fell to the Santa Cruz Warriors (6-9), 117-111, on Thursday night in a rematch at the UCLA Health Training Center.

South Bay big man Paris Bass led the team with 22 points off the bench on 9-14 field-goal shooting while Mac McClung tallied 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in a team-high 38 minutes. Lakers two-way guard Mason Jones returned to the starting lineup after missing the previous three games with an ankle injury and dropped 15 points to go with six assists and five rebounds. Frank Mason III, also back in action after missing the previous seven games due to a hamstring injury, posted 13 points and 5 assists off the bench.

Lakers two-way forward Sekou Doumbouya led the initial charge for South Bay, making his first three shots and two free throws for eleven points. Warriors two-way guard Quinndary Weatherspoon countered with nine points of his own, but the Lakers held a strong lead after 12 minutes of play, 32-25.

Santa Cruz came out motivated in the second quarter, outrebounding South Bay 17-5 and outscoring them 42-24. Former 2018 NBA Draft lottery pick Jerome Robinson fueled the Warriors with 12 points in the quarter, and Santa Cruz led 67-56 at halftime.

A 10-2 run out of the break re-energized South Bay, forcing Santa Cruz to call a quick timeout. The Lakers locked in on defense and held the Warriors to just 16 points in the quarter, and the game remained tied at 83 apiece going into the final frame.

Another strong quarter from Santa Cruz’s Weatherspoon carried the team down the stretch as he dropped 12 of his 29 points in the fourth. The Warriors took command of the lead midway through the quarter and never gave it back, holding on for a 117-111 victory.

Former LSU guard Kalob Ledoux posted 24 points off the bench for the Warriors with six three-pointers while starting forward Jerome Robinson added 20 points. Santa Cruz owned a 24-4 advantage in fast break points, helping the Warriors secure the win on the road.

South Bay will host a rematch with the Santa Cruz Warriors on Saturday, February 12, 2022, at 5:00 P.M. PT at the UCLA Health Training Center, and the game will be streamed on NBAGLeague.com.