by OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 28, 2024 – The Oklahoma City Blue (11-12) was defeated by the Santa Cruz Warriors (12-9), 121-116, on Wednesday afternoon at Paycom Center. Thunder assignment player Lindy Waters III posted a career-high 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting while fellow assignment player Ousmane Dieng tallied 15 points, 11 rebounds, nine assists and four blocks in the loss. “Credit to Santa Cruz today for how they fought to earn the win,” Head Coach Kameron Woods said. “We are looking forward to turning around and playing again tomorrow night in front of our fans.” Oklahoma City trailed 32-29 after the first before outscoring Santa Cruz 34-28 in the second frame to grab a 63-60 halftime advantage. The Blue extended its lead to 98-89 after tallying 35 points on 56.5% shooting in the third quarter. After a back-and-forth final quarter and overtime, the Blue eventually was defeated. Two-way player Adam Flagler scored 20 points, grabbed four rebounds, and had four assists for the Blue. Fellow two-way player Keyontae Johnson added 14 points, six boards and two steals in the contest. Santa Cruz was led by a team-high 27 points from Javan Johnson. Teammate Pat Spencer added 13 points, seven boards, and five assists. Oklahoma City and Santa Cruz face off again tomorrow, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m. CT at Paycom Center to complete the back-to-back.
