News release from the Mad Ants:
Mad Ants offense fuels win over Delaware
(February 9, 2016) – The Mad Ants, sponsored by Lutheran Health Network, topped the Delaware 87ers 111-102 on Tuesday, February 9th at the Allen Co. War Memorial Coliseum.
With the addition of Shayne Whittington, who was reassigned from the Indiana Pacers on Monday, the Mad Ants put together a dominant first half of play against the visiting 87ers. In the first twenty-four minutes of play, the Mad Ants never trailed and pushed ahead with leads of up to twenty on 50% shooting. Cold shooting from Delaware, registering just 37% in the first half, including hitting just one of eleven shots from three point territory, was good enough to put Fort Wayne ahead 54-40 at the half. CJ Fair led with 15 points, while Whittington and Rakeem Christmas each chipped in eight.
Still holding a tight grasp on the lead, the Mad Ants remained ahead during the third quarter to push their advantage to 83-70 heading into the final quarter of play. Delaware pushed back, regaining momentum to force a 90-90 tie with just over six minutes remaining in regulation. In the span of just over four minutes, Fair was able to put Fort Wayne back into the lead with an explosive fourth quarter performance, this lead the team would maintain until the end of the game. Fair led all scorers with 32 points and 7 rebounds. Walter Lemon Jr. followed with 20 points of his own, making for his 17th consecutive game of posting a double figure scoring total. Whittington rounded out the Mad Ants with 15 points and 9 rebounds.
For Delaware, Sean Kilpatrick led with 20 points and Ty Greene followed with 19.
Fort Wayne move to 14-16 on the season, while Delaware drops to 17-16.
The Mad Ants will resume play after the 2016 NBA D-League All-Star weekend with a home matchup against the Grand Rapids Drive on Tuesday, February 16th at 7:00 p.m. Fans can purchase their 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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