RENO, Nev. —- The Reno Bighorns (11-20) fell 121-104 to the Salt Lake City Stars (10-20) Friday night at the in front of a near sold out crowd at the Reno Events Center.
Sacramento Kings Assignment Player Georgios Papagiannis led the Bighorns with 22 points and five rebounds while Pe’Shon Howard notched 20 points and five rebounds. Kings affiliate player Isaiah Cousins scored 20 points, grabbed five rebounds and added five assists.
Sundiata Gaines paced the Stars logging a double-double with 27 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Joel Bolomboy, who is on assignment from the Utah Jazz had 20 points, 17 rebounds and three assists.
The Stars took control of the game early going on a 17-5 run to lead the Bighorns by 14 at the 7:25 mark. The Bighorns would get within six points before the Stars ran away with the lead to have a 32-18 lead by the end of the first quarter.
The Stars kept the Bighorns at bay with a double-digit lead until the Reggie Hearn sunk a triple with 6:42 left in play in the first half to cut the deficit to nine. The Stars held the advantage over the Bighorns the remainder of the frame having a 12-point cushion heading into the locker room. Papagiannis ended the first half with 14 points.
The Bighorns went on a 9-2 run coming out of the break to edge the Stars 64-63 behind a three from Howard at the 9:23 mark. The Stars responded with a late 22-4 run to ensure a 14-point advantage heading into the final frame.
Howard opened the fourth quarter with a jumper before Will Davis stepped to the line to make a free throw to cut the deficit to 11. The Bighorns were unable to overcome the Stars lead, ultimately dropping 121-104 to Salt Lake City.
The Bighorns will next travel to Erie to face the Bayhawks on Thursday, Feb. 9 at 4 P.M PST.
–bighorns—
About the Reno Bighorns:
The Reno Bighorns are a member of the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA. The Bighorns are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are on sale now! For more information, call the Bighorns front office at 775-853-8220 or visit RenoBighorns.com. Follow us on Twitter @renobighorns and “like” the Bighorns on Facebook at facebook.com/bighornshoops. 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 22 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2016-17 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 2015-16 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 nbadleague.com.
RENO, Nev.—- The Reno Bighorns (11-18) fell to the Salt Lake City Stars (8-20) 107-106 Sunday night in front of a sellout at the Reno Events Center.
Reggie Hearn led the Bighorns with his season-high 30 points and added 10 rebounds and two assists while Kings affiliate player Isaiah Cousins notched 26 points, four rebounds and 10 assists. Renaldo Major totaled 17 points in the Sunday night contest.
Jermaine Taylor paced the Stars with 27 points and six rebounds while Tyrone Wallace scored 26 points, four rebounds and five assists.
The Bighorns opened up the first frame going on a 9-3 run to hold the advantage over the Stars at the 8:00 mark. The Spurs responded with a 10-4 run, tying the game at 13 a piece at the mid-way point of the first frame. The Stars held a 10-point advantage over the Bighorns to enter the second frame.
The Stars would hold their double-digit lead over the Bighorns before the Bighorns went on a 17-6 run behind a triple from Major to take a 44-43 lead at the 4:30 mark. The teams would exchange the lead times in four minutes with Reno holding a 50-49 lead at the half.
The battle was head-to-head in the third frame. Despite Cousins scoring 11 of his 26 points in the quarter, the Stars won the frame 31-25. Neither team led by more than five points in the frame, the quarter saw nine lead changes and four ties. The Stars held a 80-75 lead at the end of the frame.
The Stars held the upper hand on the Bighorns to open the final frame before the Bighorns went on an 11-4 run to hold a one-point advantage over the Stars with 7:31 left in play. The teams fought to control the lead, exchanging the lead five times and tying twice in five minutes. The Stars had a 106-100 lead with 46.3 left in play. Hearn sunk two triples in the final 2.4 seconds to end the game edging the Stars 107-106. Hearn scored 15 of his 30 points in the final frame behind a 5-7 shooting effort.
The Bighorns will return to the Reno Events Center on Wednesday, Feb. 1 to host the Iowa Energy at 7 p.m.
–bighorns—
About the Reno Bighorns:
The Reno Bighorns are a member of the NBA Development League, the official minor league of the NBA. The Bighorns are affiliated with the Sacramento Kings. Season tickets for the 2016-17 season are on sale now! For more information, call the Bighorns front office at 775-853-8220 or visit RenoBighorns.com. Follow us on Twitter @renobighorns and “like” the Bighorns on Facebook at facebook.com/bighornshoops. 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 22 teams with direct affiliations with NBA franchises for the 2016-17 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 2015-16 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 nbadleague.com.