BIGHORNS CRUISE TO VICTORY IN PACIFIC DIVISION BATTLE

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. ---- The Reno Bighorns (23-17) defeated the South Bay Lakers (26-16) 124-135 Friday night at the UCLA Health Training Center.

Aaron Harrison paced the Bighorns with 24 points and three rebounds off the bench while Kings two-way player Jakarr Sampson scored 24 points and grabbed six rebounds. Matt Jones and David Stockton scored 17 points apiece.

Alex Caruso paced the Lakers recording a double-double with 35 points and 10 assists while James Southerland had 24 points and six rebounds.

The Bighorns got off to a hot-shooting start, completing 50.0% attempts from the field, including 45.5% team shooting from beyond-the-arc. Reno and the Lakers combined for a total of 40 points in the paint, with the Bighorns leading the Lakers 32-29 at the end of the frame.

The Bighorns expanded their lead to 14 points in the second quarter, opening the frame on an 18-9 run. Reno held South Bay to 38.5% team shooting effort in the quarter to have an eight-point cushion to enter the break.

A 14-point swing would take place in the third period, as the Bighorns fell to a two-point deficit after leading by as many as 12 points to open the frame. The final 2:18 of the quarter saw back-and-forth scoring as the Bighorns would retake the advantage to lead the Lakers 104-102 heading into the final frame.

The battle continued through the third quarter, after Scott Machado scored seven points for the Lakers in the first two minutes to hold a five-point edge over Reno. Back-to-back triples from Harrison and Stockton at the 9:00 mark sparked a scoring spree from the visitors. Reno would keep South Bay to six points in the remaining 3:44 of regulation to cruise to an eleven-point margin of victory.

The Bighorns will travel to Prescott, Ariz. to take on the Suns on Sunday, Mar. 4 at 2 p.m. PST at the Prescott Valley Events Center.

--bighorns--