Cleveland Ohio- Playing without Sharife Cooper, the Charge needed everyone to step up against the College Park Skyhawks. They got exactly that, and ended with a game winner with 2.9 seconds to go from Nate Hinton, to defeat the Skyhawks 116-115.
The game started with the Skyhawks opening the game with an 11-0 run. It looked as if it was going to be a long night. But Hinton hit three three’s, and Isaiah Mobley scored nine points as well to keep the Charge within striking distance. The second quarter saw Jamorko Pickett start to get in on the scoring as he scored in every way possible on his way to 13 points in the quarter, as the Charge scored 43 points in the second quarter and took a 69-59 lead into the break.
The second half was up and down with the Charge and the Skyhawks still trying to create some separation. Fouls and turnovers became routine for both teams as the game for both teams started getting sloppy and too loose. This was a period where the Charge seemed to miss Coopers playmaking and calming presence. The Charge scored 18 in the third quarter and never got comfortable in their offense. Luckily for the Charge, the Skyhawks weren’t much better as they couldn’t take advantage of the turnovers or the Charge missing Cooper.
The fourth quarter was by far the most exciting. In what looked to be a repeat of the previous game, where the Skyhawks took control and beat the Charge ending their eight-game win streak, the Skyhawks came out and took a lead in the fourth. Armoni Brooks tried to ice the game, but his three fourth quarter threes were matched by his former college teammate Hinton as they matched each other point for point.
Photo by David Chopcinski
Hinton after the game said “it was fun playing against Brooks but some of the shots he was making were making me upset” as he laughed. Behind Brooks’ 10 points, the Skyhawks were up 115-111 with 30 seconds to go. But two clutch free throws by Sam Merrill, and finally a missed three from Brooks set up a final play and Hinton took it from there.
With 8 second left, Chandler Vaudrin took the inbounds pass and worked his way to the left as Hinton waited and received the pass, and knocked down a corner three to win the game 116-115. I’m what was a total team effort, Hinton managed to put together a career night with his seven threes finishing with 23 points.. Vaudrin, filling in for Cooper, scored 15 points but also grabbed a team high 14 rebounds and dished out six assist. Mobley scored a team high 25 points but helped with the playmaking as he dished out seven assist. While Jamorko Pickett and Merrill scored 17, and 19 respectively. Just a complete team effort and team win.
Up Next
The Charge head across the border to play 905 Raptors for two games, before coming home to play the Delaware Blue Coats February 6th.
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