The Motor City Cruise was defeated by the South Bay Lakers in their second meeting of the season at Wayne State Fieldhouse, 120-109.
The game kicked off with the opening play from the newest addition to the Cruise, Jayce Johnson. It didn’t take long for Jared Rhoden to get in on the action, either.
Despite the initial hustle plays by the Cruise, the South Bay Lakers had ended up getting into their offensive groove from their key players, Jalen Hood-Schifino and Maxwell Lewis — who had a strong first-half showing. The Lakers’ Quinndary Weatherspoons’ spin move to the basket gave them the leading advantage to close out the first quarter, 31-23.
As the game progressed, the Lakers had established their largest lead of 13 points at the 10:20 mark of the second quarter. Everything seemed to be falling for South Bay from deep. In response, the Motor City Cruise adapted their strategy and had relied on transition runs and a relentless approach to attacking the rim.
This adjustment was very effective for Toson Evbuomwan — he was the driving force behind the Cruise’s offensive efforts at the rim and became a bright spot for the team as the Cruise looked to narrow their gap.
As the third quarter unfolded, it proved to be an intense period — characterized by a pick up of pace from both teams, making every possession a crucial opportunity to shift the momentum.
For the Cruise, two-way player Stanley Umude electrified the Cruise with his long-range shooting.
There was also a sequence by Nate Knight, with a block on the defensive end, and then a put-back offensively, which put some urgency into the team that struck a run, but the Lakers promptly countered each scoring play.
The fourth quarter witnessed the Cruise turning up the defensive intensity resulting in them being able to score off of steals. Buddy Boeheim also put up a quick 6 points, knocking down two triples of his own that immediately forced a South Bay timeout, as the Cruise trailed at a 111-93 score with 6:20 remaining in the fourth.
Even though the Cruise tried to mount a comeback, South Bay capitalized on offensive rebounds and secured second-chance shots that allowed them to continue to pull away with their lead and eventually came out with the win, 120-109.
The Lakers were led by Jalen Hood-Schifino, who had 21 points – shooting 8-15 from the floor. Maxwell Lewis concluded the night with 17 points, shooting 8-11 from the floor. Collectively, the team scored 50 points in the paint.
For Motor City – Zavier Simpson once again showcased his incredible veteran leadership and led the way for the team with a commendable 22 points. Closely followed was Toson Evbuomwan, who contributed a solid 21 points to the team’s efforts. Jared Rhoden also had 14 points.
What’s Next?
The Motor City Cruise are now 6-3 and will head to New York to play the Long Island Nets on Tuesday, January 23. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.
Photo Courtesy: @Motorcitycruise on Instagram
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