South Bay Lakers Fall to Texas Legends in Overtime Nail-Biter

The South Bay Lakers (3-8) fell to the Texas Legends (5-9) in a 127-125 overtime loss Friday night. Lakers two-way forward Armel Traoré recorded his second double-double of the regular season with a season-high 27 points to go with 10 rebounds and two assists. 

South Bay opened with an 8-0 run, but Texas responded and closed the first quarter with a four-point lead, outshooting the Lakers by a 64.7-39.1 percent margin from the field. Lakers forward Vincent Valerio-Bodon helped shift momentum in the second quarter with a three-pointer made from 29-feet deep, while guard Quincy Olivari went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc. South Bay shot 56.2 percent from distance in the second period, building a 20-point lead at halftime. The Legends fought back in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers by 10, but South Bay held onto a 94-84 lead entering the final quarter. Texas maintained their push to tie the game in the final two minutes of play as the buzzer sounded at 120 even. In overtime, Legends guard Tanner Holden sealed the victory with a driving floating bank shot to win the game.

Lakers guard Jordan Goodwin tallied a season-high 25 points in his second 20+ point game of the regular season to go with four rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Olivari drained five shots from deep, finishing the game with 23 points, one rebound and two assists. Forward Solomon Young notched 18 points, eight rebounds and a season-high six assists, while guard Grayson Murphy added seven rebounds, 12 assists and three steals. Guards DaJuan Gordon and Sir’Jabari Rice both scored in double-figures off the bench. 

Legends guard Jarod Lucas led with a team-high 27 points to go with two rebounds, two assists and two steals. Off the bench, Holden added 25 points along with five rebounds, five assists and a team-high three steals, while forward Teafale Lenard Jr. contributed 21 points, nine rebounds, four assists and one steal. The Legends outscored South Bay 62-46 in the paint.

The South Bay Lakers next take on the Oklahoma City Blue tomorrow, Feb. 1, at home at UCLA Health Training Center at 5 p.m. Fans can click here to purchase tickets.