Cleveland Charge Get Back on Track with Win Over Wisconsin Herd

Photo by Luigi Musto

CLEVELAND, OH—The Cleveland Charge came into Tuesday night losing their last 6 games including a 2-game sweep at the hands of the Maine Red Claws. They have been dealing with multiple injuries including leading scorer Sharife Cooper. Cooper himself has only played in 1 game in the month of February due to a lingering ankle injury. The Wisconsin Herd have also been struggling as of late. They came in 2-8 in their last 10 games. Both teams were looking to get back on track and put one in the win column.

Charge Fight Back Early

The Wisconsin Herd, led by Lindell Wiggington and Rob Edwards, got off to a very quick start. The Herd went on a 14-5 run in the first 3 minutes of the game, with Rob Edwards scoring 8 of the 14. With Rob Edwards picking up his 2nd foul early in the 1st quarter, the Charge took control. In the last 9 minutes of the quarter, Cleveland outscored Wisconsin 30-13. The trio of Nate Hinton, Sam Merrill, and Jamorko Pickett combined for 28 of the Charge’s 35 points. Hinton led the way with 12 points, all courtesy of the 3-point variety.

Cleveland Stays the Course

The Charge entered the 2nd quarter with a 35-27 lead over the Herd. Sharife Cooper got off to a quick start in the frame. Cooper, who did not score in the first quarter, dropped 9 points for the Charge in the 2nd. The Charge extended their lead to as many as 15 points after going up 54-39. Jamorko Pickett led the Charge in scoring for the 1st half by putting up 14 points. The Herd would not go away easily though. Alize Johnson picked up the pace for the Herd as he put in 10 points for Wisconsin in the 2nd quarter. Lindell Wiggington led the way for the Herd in the 1st half scoring 16 points, including 3 baskets from 3-point range. At the half, the Charge led the Herd 65-56.

so good to have you back, @SharifeCooper 😍#ChargeUp pic.twitter.com/g3qWnEfSL8

— Cleveland Charge (@ChargeCLE) February 15, 2023

Early in the 3rd quarter, the Charge got into foul trouble. Cleveland picked up 5 team fouls in the first 3 minutes. This put the Herd in prime position to attack the basket and draw fouls that would automatically put them at the foul line. While the Herd were building a comeback, Lindell Wiggington picked up his 5th foul of the game sending him to the bench. Wiggington was leading the team in scoring at this time with 23 points. Despite the foul trouble, the Charge were able to hold their lead for the entirety of the quarter. Jamorko Pickett continued his dominant game dropping 10 points in the quarter, bringing his game total to 24. Lindell Wiggington led the way for the Herd with 23 points.

The Charge Close Out the Herd

Cleveland entered the 4th quarter with a 95-85 lead and looked to close out the game. Early in the quarter, the Charge were on fire from 3-point range. Sam Merrill knocked down three quick 3s, while Jamorko Pickett added one of his own. The Charge had extended their lead to 111-93. The Herd were not going to let the game get away from them. Wisconsin went on a 16-4 scoring run over the next 4 minutes to cut the Charge lead to just 6 points. The Charge got right back into it and did not let up until the final buzzer. The Charge picked up their first win in the last 7 games. Jamorko Pickett led the way for the Charge with 30 points. The final score was 128-120.

Key Players

DOMINANT stuff tonight from Jamorko Pickett and Mamadi Diakite 🔥

Both recorded double-doubles for the @ChargeCLE to help lead them to a victory! pic.twitter.com/nmkzk8SAlD

— NBA G League (@nbagleague) February 15, 2023

Cleveland Charge:

Jamorko Pickett: 30 points, 11 rebounds, 4/8 3-pointers

Mamadi Diakite: 23 points, 18 rebounds

Sam Merrill: 20 points, 6/10 3-pointers

Wisconsin Herd:

Lindell Wiggington: 34 points, 6/12 3-pointers

Alize Johnson: 25 points, 20 rebounds

Next Game

The Charge look to string together another win Wednesday night as they welcome the South Bay Lakers to town. The first tip is set to be at 7PM EST. The game can be listened to on NEO Sports Radio via the iHeartRadio app, and watched on ESPN+