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Long Island Tops Santa Cruz to Earn First Home Victory

By Long Island Nets Staff /December 2, 2016

BROOKLYN – The Long Island Nets (2-7) topped the Santa Cruz Warriors (2-6) 114-104 today at Barclays Center. The victory marked Long Island’s first home win this season and snapped a six-game losing streak.

Forward Beau Beech led Long Island with a game-high-tying 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting (6-of-11 3FG) with four rebounds and four steals in 42 minutes, as all five Long Island starters scored in double figures.

Guard Yogi Ferrell and forward Chris McCullough were among the LI Nets’ starters while on assignment from Brooklyn. Ferrell posted a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 10 assists in 38 minutes, and McCullough recorded 20 points with nine rebounds and four assists in 27 minutes.

Once Long Island took a 5-3 lead with 9:44 remaining in the first quarter, the Nets never trailed Santa Cruz and led by as many as 22 points in the win. Trahson Burrell led the Nets in the first quarter with 11 points, as Long Island shot 56.6 percent in the opening period to take a 31-21 lead.

The Nets continued to build their lead in the second and third quarters, but Santa Cruz attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter. Although the Warriors outscored the Nets 31-21 in the period and closed Long Island’s lead to as little as seven with 5:05 remaining in the game, the Nets held strong for the win.

Long Island also played solid defense in the win, holding Santa Cruz to 39.1 percent shooting from the field and 20.7 percent shooting from long range.

Forward Elgin Cook and guard Phil Pressey both recorded a game-high-tying 22 points for Santa Cruz, matching Beech’s effort for Long Island. Cook also posted a double-double for the Warriors with 11 rebounds, while Cameron Jones added a double-double of his own for Santa Cruz with 11 points and 10 rebounds in 40 minutes.

Long Island will travel to Canton next to face the Charge on Saturday, December 3, at 7 p.m. EST. Santa Cruz will continue its East Coast road trip and will face the Red Claws in Maine on Saturday, December 3, at 4 p.m. PST.