MISSISSAUGA – After starting the game off colder than Drake sitting atop the CN Tower in Toronto, the Austin Spurs offense propelled the silver and black to a 106-101 victory over the Northern Arizona Suns on Friday night.
Cory Jefferson was on his worst behavior, lighting up the Suns to the tune of 23 points and nine rebounds. Ryan Arcidiacono turned the “6” upside down with 18 points, six rebounds and four assists. Charles Garcia was successful off the bench for the Spurs with 14 points and five boards. Livio Jean-Charles was unforgettable for the starting unit, as the Frenchman tallied 13 points and five rebounds. Daniel Nwaelele and Jeff Ledbetter were both fireworks for the Spurs offense, with the guards scoring 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t have too many enemies with his energetic performance for the Suns, scoring 23 points on the night. Johnny O’Bryant III played pretty charged up during his 29 minutes, putting up 17 points and five rebounds before fouling out. Elijah Millsap and Askia Booker made plenty of headlines, scoring 15 points each.
Austin’s offense started from the bottom to start the game, as their horrendous shooting netted the Spurs just 15 first quarter points.
Arcidiacono came to light up the second quarter, as the Villanova product scored 12 points in the frame to give the Spurs a 52-46 lead heading into halftime.
Lord knows Jefferson was trying to impress NBA scouts in hopes of securing a 10-day contract. His post play was an absolute force throughout the game on offense and defense, quantifying to six points and two blocks in the third quarter.
Fourth quarter woes continued to doom the Spurs as the Suns used a 9-0 run to take the lead 92-91 with three minutes remaining. Luckily Austin’s defense shut it down during the final stretch as they prevailed to a 105-101 victory to close out the D-League Showcase.
If you’re reading this, it’s not too late to catch the Austin Spurs (11-15) take on the Northern Arizona Suns (12-12). You can view both teams face each other again on Jan. 26 at 7 p.m. CST from the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, with the game being broadcast on ESPNU. There’s no doubt the Suns will be looking for revenge.
