by ERIE, Pennsylvania — In the first ever matchup between the two teams in Erie Insurance Arena, the Erie BayHawks (10-16) defeated the Westchester Knicks (8-17) 98-74 for the first time in franchise history. Erie had lost the first three matchups against the Knicks in their inaugural season, all on the road.
The Knicks started the game on an 11-4 run as Erie’s small-ball lineup caused early rebounding problems. Westchester was able to snag six offensive rebounds in the first five minutes. Erie then used a 21-4 run to take their first lead of the game behind Peyton Siva’s 10 early points. The visiting Knicks trailed by nine after the first frame.
A Leslie McDonald three to begin the second quarter extended Erie’s lead to 12. Newly acquired Joe Crawford recorded his first points in the NBA Development League to silence a mini Knicks run that had the game to single digits. Erie started to gain control of the game midway through the quarter after Siva drilled his fourth three-pointer of the half. A Jarvis Williams and-one followed by a Seth Curry three on back-to back possessions gave Erie a 26 point lead. Westchester’s large deficit wouldn’t change as the BayHawks headed into locker room up 57-31. The 11 points put up by the Knicks in the second quarter were the lowest Erie allowed in any quarter all season.
Siva continued his high scoring game with a steal and lay-up to give Erie their biggest lead of the game at 31 early in the third. The Knicks were able to cut into the lead using an 11-1 run behind Andre Barrett and Ben Strong’s (Red Lake tribe) combined nine points. Erie would hold onto a 25 point lead heading into the final quarter after a John Bohannon buzzer-beating three.
An evenly matched final quarter was not what Westchester was hoping for. Siva’s lay-up with three minutes left in the game was good enough to tie his season high with 25 points as Erie went on to win 98-74, their second largest margin of victory this season.
Siva’s 25 points were also good enough to lead the game in scoring. Williams, who made his fourth consecutive start tonight, followed with 16 points. Curry and Crawford, Erie’s number one and two scorers, only combined for 13 points, a good sign for Erie’s role players. Curry’s 11 points were his second lowest of the season. Daniel Coursey, who started Erie’s first 23 games but has come off the bench the past four, recorded a double-double while scoring his third straight double-digit game.
Ben Strong for the Knicks came off the bench to lead Westchester with 20 points and 11 rebounds. Darnell Jackson, who led Westchester with 11 first half points, was held to just two in the second to tally 13 total. Orlando Sanchez was the only other Knicks player in double-digits with 10.
Watch his 20 point performance:
