PORTLAND —The Maine Red Claws (13-16) got out to a hot start, but were unable to slow down the Springfield Armor (10-17), who extended their own four game winning streak by snapping Maine’s four game home winning streak Friday night at the Portland Expo Building, 108-101.
The Red Claws scored four inside baskets in the first two minutes from Chris Wright and Frank Gaines, sandwiched around a three pointer from Chris Babb to open the game on a 12-4 run en route to a 20-8 lead midway through the first.
Springfield came out of the first time out hot, however, closing out the first on a 24-6 run over the final 4:41 on the hot shooting of Darius Johnson-Odom and Bruce Massey to finish the first with a 32-28 lead.
Armor guard Adonis Thomas opened the quarter with a runner before Babb and Red Claw guard Abdul Gaddy put on a three point shooting clinic, with Babb converting all four of his attempts and Gaddy going 2-2 from deep. The quarter belonged to Springfield, though, with Johnson-Odom putting in 13 more points and Thomas adding 12 to extend their cushion to 67-61 heading into the locker room.
Maine came out of the break and got a quick basket from Gaines, but The Armor pushed their lead to 10 early.
Former Armor guard Tyshawn Taylor sparked a small run by the Red Claws which was capped off by a Zeke Marshall dunk and a free throw to cut the lead to 73-76, but Springfield was able to pull away thanks to Dennis Horner’s five quick points and a three pointer from former Red Claw Lance Hurdle to enter the final frame with the hosts trailing 87-78.
Maine opened the fourth with six straight points to cut the lead to three, but that was the closest they would get as Wright’s nine points were matched by Johnson-Odom’s 10 in the final quarter and the Armor converted their free throws down the stretch.
Johnson-Odom led all scorers with 33 points to go along with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals. The Red Claws were led by Gaines (21 points, five rebounds, two steals). Also scoring in double figures were Babb (18 points, nine rebounds, two steals), Wright (16 points, 13 rebounds, four assists, four blocks), Gaddy (16 points, six assists) and Taylor (16 points, two steals).
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