In an intense showdown at Wayne State Fieldhouse, the Motor City Cruise came out on top against the Iowa Timberwolves in their home opener.
The Cruise went into halftime facing a 10-point deficit, at a 68-58 score, but the third and fourth quarters witnessed an electrifying turnaround. Jontay Porter stepped up big-time in the post that helped narrow the gap with less than six minutes remaining in the third.
Then, a game-changing sequence that was sparked by sharpshooter Buddy Boeheim, where he unleashed and made three consecutive shots — including an and-one possession, put the Cruise ahead by three points, 90-87.
Jared Rhoden complemented this scoring surge with an incredible showing of his own in crucial moments, that also catalyzed the Cruise’s momentum. Though Iowa tried to climb back into it, they found themselves in fouling situations that granted Motor City easy points from the free throw line.
A defensive stop from the Cruise forced an Iowa turnover, and that concluded the third quarter, commanding an 8-point lead, 97-89 in the Cruise’s favor.
Entering the fourth quarter, Iowa’s Leonard Miller knocked down a triple and hoped they could build upon this, but Motor City had their responses, and ended up continuing to show their dominance throughout the final stretch of the game.
Zavier Simpson displayed his veteran prowess with consecutive layups that further bolstered the lead and had some things to say on how important it is to have that leadership role on the team, while also shedding light on the important factors essential for sustaining their current momentum and how they aim to carry it forward throughout the rest of the season.
“Just being a point guard. Everyone leads in different ways, but I want to lead by an example and also lead with my voice and make sure we’re all on the same page, and especially tonight, when we were down 14. We just take it game by game. We had a rough first half so we just want to get back to the drawing board and watch film with the coaches and be able to retain and absorb the knowledge from them, so just being able to learn, and just being able to stay together.”
Simpson finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Jared Rhoden scored 18 points, going 6-10 from the field, along with 7 assists. Jontay Porter ended with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Buddy Boeheim contributed 17 points and Tosan Evbuomwan had 15 points and 7 assists.
With the home opener win under first year head coach Jamelle McMillan’s belt, this marks a great beginning that already highlights the team’s potential.
What’s Next?
The Motor City Cruise are scheduled again to play the Grand Rapids Gold, with tip-off slated for Saturday, November 18th at 7 p.m at Van Andel Arena.
Photo Courtesy: DetroitBadBoys.com
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