SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Warriors (13-13) fell 131-110 to the South Bay Lakers (18-8) on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena, as South Bay used a 32-point third-quarter lead to pull away.
Center Charles Bassey notched his tenth consecutive double-double, finishing with 28 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks. Guard Chance McMillian tallied 19 points and five assists, while guard Taevion Kinsey scored 18. Center Marques Bolden finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, while forward Jacksen Moni added 12 points and guard Deivon Smith contributed 10 points and four rebounds.
South Bay was led by guard RJ Davis, who knocked down six three-pointers to score a game-high 30 points. Center Malik Williams recorded a 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, while two-way guard Nick Smith Jr. had 22 points and eight assists. Forward Arthur Kaluma also notched a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds, and forward Anton Watson totaled 14 points and eight assists.
After jumping out to a 17-7 advantage four minutes into the game, the Warriors’ offense sputtered, scoring just nine points over the next six minutes as the Lakers pulled ahead 32-26. Behind 11-point opening frames from starting centers Bassey and Williams, the Lakers maintained their momentum to close the first quarter with a 34-31 lead. While both teams shot over 50% from the floor in the second quarter, eight Sea Dub turnovers allowed South Bay to outpace them by 13 points in the frame. A 13-2 Lakers swing midway through the period gave the visitors a double-digit cushion, 56-45, at the 4:03 mark before they headed into halftime with a 70-54 advantage.
South Bay stayed in rhythm on both ends of the court to open the second half, using a 19-5 surge over the first five minutes to build an 89-59 margin. The Warriors were unable to match the Lakers’ 21 third-quarter points from behind the arc and trailed 105-79 entering the final frame. Looking to battle back, Santa Cruz opened the fourth quarter with a 17-7 run to cut the deficit to 16 with 7:46 remaining. Moni contributed nine points off the bench to the late-game effort and Bolden added seven, but South Bay quickly expanded the gap back to 20 points to secure the 131-110 victory.
The Sea Dubs will face the Lakers again at home on Sunday, March 8 (5 p.m tip-off), before embarking on a three-game road trip. 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.