The BayHawks won the final 36 minutes of this game, outscoring the Mad Ants in quarters two and four and playing them dead even in the third. But they still lost the game. It was the first quarter that did them in tonight, puzzling when you consider that they came in riding their first two-game win streak of the season. It seemed like this was as good a chance as any to get the home crowd buzzing with an electric start, but apparently the BayHawks blew a fuse somewhere between Boise and Erie.
They came out flat on offense, scoring just 13 points while committing five turnovers. Meanwhile, Fort Wayne came out with a purpose, scoring 23 in the period. The Mad Ants were led by center Jared Reiner, who scored 8 of his 18 points in the first quarter.
On the rivalry front, Oliver Lafayette made the most of his return to Erie, scoring 16 points that included 4-6 on 3-point shooting. Lafayette added 9 assists, 6 rebounds, and 4 steals in his solid all-around performance. Rod Wilmont was less of a factor, scoring just 3 points, but he grabbed 8 rebounds, including the final one that allowed him to clinch the game with 2 free throws in the final seconds. He made both to seal the win for Fort Wayne.
In a strange occurence, Erie actually shot better from 3 (41 percent) than they did from the field (37 percent). Mike Gansey's home debut was a mixed bag. He had 10 rebounds, which is good, and he hit 4-10 3s, which is good. But he also shot just 6-15 overall and committed a team-high 4 turnovers, 3 of which came in the team's sluggish first quarter.
Ivan Harris was 3-5 from downtown, but the two misses were chances to tie the game in the fourth quarter, including a shot with just six ticks left on the clock. Both Gansey and Jackie Manuel played the full 48 minutes for the BayHawks, who suited up just nine players. According to Ridiculous Upside, Booker Woodfox was released by the BayHawks, but I don't have any further details at this time.
Overall, it was a disappointing performance for the BayHawks. Fresh off a strong performance at the D-League Showcase, there was a glimmer of hope for a turnaround. With this loss, Erie's small margin for error grows even slimmer. They turn around for a rematch with Fort Wayne tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. and then again on Wednesday night. Unless they can bounce back with back-to-back wins, things are not looking up for the BayHawks.
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