Game recap from the Mad Ants:
Whittington, Petteway Lead Mad Ants in Loss to Sioux Falls
(March 22, 2016) – The Mad Ants, sponsored by Lutheran Health Network, fell to the Sioux Falls Skyforce 109-88 at Allen Co. War Memorial Coliseum behind a strong duo performance from Terran Petteway and Shayne Whittington.
Heading into the second to last home game of the 2015-16 season, the Mad Ants were playing host to a red hot Sioux Falls team, who are a posing a threat to the 2011-12 Los Angeles D-Fenders, the team currently holding the record for most wins in a season after finishing 38-12. The Mad Ants did what they could to force an early lead over their division foe in the opening quarter, but Sioux Falls battled back leading 21-17 after one. Petteway continued his dominant performance through the first half of play, recording 10 points to lead the Ants at the half, but it was the Skyforce who would take the dominant lead in the game, jumping out 49-34 at the midway point. CJ Fair followed Petteway with 7 points at the half.
The Skyforce came out of the half dominating play behind 53% shooting to give them an 86-58 advantage over Fort Wayne. Fair and Petteway pushed the Mad Ants on the offensive side, recording 15 and 14 third quarter points respectively. Defense was key through the fourth quarter for the Mad Ants, as they limited Sioux Falls to just ten points through over six minutes of play; however that would not be enough to stop the surging Skyforce as the Mad Ants would fall 109-88. Petteway in addition to Whittington led with 16 points each, with Whittington checking in for 6 rebounds. Fair followed both teammates with 15 points of his own.
Leading the way for the Skyforce, Keith Benson led all scorers with 21 points and Briante Weber followed with 18 points and 8 rebounds.
Fort Wayne falls to 18-28 on the season, while Sioux Falls moves to 37-8.
The Mad Ants will travel to Iowa to take on the Energy Thursday, March 24th and Saturday, March 26th, both games beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. Fans can purchase Mad Ants tickets anytime, which start at just $6, at the Memorial Coliseum Box Office, by visiting www.ticketmaster.com, or charge by phone at 1-800-745-3000.
About the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and the NBA Development League
The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, presented by Lutheran Health Network, are the NBA Development affiliate of the NBA Indiana Pacers. Established in 2007, the Mad Ants have marked their success in back-to-back Championship appearances, coming out on top in 2014 and returning to the Championship series in 2015. The 2014-2015 season also named the Mad Ants as the NBA Development League Development Champions, which recognizes the team that best embodies the NBA D-League’s goals of developing NBA-caliber basketball talent through call-ups and assignments. The NBA Development League is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers, and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 19 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2015-16 season, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. An all-time high 38 percent of all NBA players at the end of the 2014-15 season boasted NBA D-League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA D-League Cares programs. Fans can watch all NBA D-League games on fortwayne.gleague.nba.com.
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