D League

Regular Season Round 44: Ft.Wayne MA - Springfield A. 87-118

Date: February 12, 2012
The fast-rising Springfield Armor slammed home another message Sunday night. Led by Jeff Foote's (7'0'-C-88, college: Cornell) 23 points and 9 rebounds, the Armor won a franchise-record fifth consecutive game, totally ripping apart the Fort Wayne Mad Ants 118-87 in front of a silenced 3,706 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. Six Armor players reached double figures for the second consecutive game, including all five starters. It took Foote just 10 minutes to get there. Dennis Horner (6'9'-F-88, agency: Strategic Sports, college: N.Carolina St.) added 17 points and Jameson Curry (6'4'-G-86, agency: Strategic Sports, college: Oklahoma St.) 16, including a game-high four 3-pointers. Point guard Jerry Smith (6'2'-G-87, college: Louisville) had 15 points and a team-high five assists. Weve just got a bunch of unselfish guys that dont care who scores the ball, said Springfields L.D. Williams (6'4'-G-88, college: Wake Forest), who scored 14 points and had three assists. Unselfish guys who like being around each other and winning. And its the type of winning Springfield hasnt always seen from the Armor. The streak has boosted the Armor (18-13) into second place in the D-Leagues East Conference, just 2 games behind Iowa. Only the West Conference-leading Los Angeles D-Fenders have a longer active win streak at six. First-year Armor head coach Bob Mackinnon has seen a camaraderie develop that goes beyond the wins. Optional shooting practices, he said, have drawn perfect attendance. In games, he wants the Armor to have 16 pass or shot deflections per half. Sunday, they totaled an incredible 40, including a pair of blocked shots from both Foote and Curry. I think theyre seeing that hard work pays off. This is becoming a very tough and resilient team, Mackinnon said. Sunday, the Armor had to withstand a travel schedule that began at 6 a.m., continued with a flight connection through Dallas and ended with an arrival in Fort Wayne three hours before the game. No worries. The Armor took the Mad Ants to school in a textbook first half. Springfield made 60 percent of its shots, nearly doubled Fort Wayne in rebounds and outscored the Ants 34-20 in the paint, including 22-8 in the opening quarter. The Armor led by as many as 35 points. Foote, a 7-foot center from Cornell who began the season in the Portland Trail Blazers NBA camp, was particularly strong for the Armor early on, scoring their first three baskets. The Mad Ants had no answer for his moves, forcing Mad Ants coach Steve Gansey to eventually send in backup center Sean Sonderleiter to muscle him around a bit. In the opening quarter alone, Foote scored on a dunk, a reverse layup and a hook shot. It was more of my teammates setting me up. I have to give them a lot of credit, Foote said. They did a great job tonight. I think Jeff is an NBA player, Mackinnon said. Hes a guy who can have a 10- to 12-year playing career in the NBA. The presence of Foote and Horner (nine rebounds, three assists) caused Fort Wayne defensive problems the entire game. And when the inside was clogged up, Curry, Smith and Preston Knowles combined to hit 10 3-pointers. We want to establish the inside, Williams said. When were getting in the lane and getting shots in the paint and creating for others, thats when were at our best. The Armor never trailed and allowed a tie just once, at 2-2. The Mad Ants (10-21) have lost five straight. Devan Downey, a former star at South Carolina, led Fort Wayne with 20 points and a game-high nine assists. Courtesy of www.masslive.com
  FT.WAYNE MA (coach: Tom Hankins)87
  FIELD GOALS REBOUNDS   FOULS   BLOCKS  
#   NAME MIN 2PM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF RB AS F RV ST FV AG TO PT RNK +/-
  gITjRF, gRLij 49 7-60 (15%) 5-8 (5%) 8-3 (05%) 5 4 4 7 5 5 3 5 5 8 85 84 5
  viJiQR, giQjRll 43 4-65 (45%) 5-5 (5%) 6-8 (05%) 5 4 4 6 1 5 6 5 5 3 9 -1 5
65 zIjRs, CiBRQIj 48 9-60 (31.9%) 5-6 (5%) 6-8 (05%) 5 6 6 6 6 5 5 5 5 5 60 1 5
  WilUIj, wQiLas 83 6-3 (80%) 5-5 (5%) 8-3 (05%) 5 4 4 8 3 5 6 5 5 4 3 -3 5
  wasdilR, baVR 83 6-3 (80%) 5-5 (5%) 5-5 (5%) 8 3 1 5 3 5 5 5 5 4 8 -8 5
69 eInis, AidaRl 87 3-66 (41.3%) 5-6 (5%) 1-2 (90%) 0 1 66 5 4 5 6 5 5 0 63 9 5
  mQITj, GalMRQU 67 8-4 (11.9%) 8-3 (05%) 3-1 (11.9%) 6 6 8 6 6 5 6 5 5 5 63 66 5
  AIjdRQlRaURQ, ARij 67 8-3 (05%) 5-5 (5%) 3-3 (655%) 5 4 4 5 0 5 5 5 5 6 2 4 5
  miudajRU, whIBis 62 5-8 (5%) 6-3 (80%) 5-5 (5%) 5 6 6 8 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 -6 5
wIUil   87-12 (38.9%) 4-68 (80.5%) 85-45 (11.9%) 2 80 44 61 80 5 2 5 5 62 29 49  


  SPRINGFIELD A.118
  FIELD GOALS REBOUNDS   FOULS   BLOCKS  
#   NAME MIN 2PM-A 3PM-A FTM-A OFF DEF RB AS F RV ST FV AG TO PT RNK +/-
  yIIUR, zRff 40 2-65 (25%) 5-5 (5%) 9-66 (14.1%) 8 9 7 8 3 5 5 8 5 6 84 80 5
83 CuQQF, ziBRsIj 43 6-3 (80%) 3-9 (09.6%) 8-8 (655%) 8 3 1 4 3 5 6 8 5 4 61 60 5
2 ABaUh, zRQQF 43 8-9 (82.1%) 4-7 (44.4%) 8-8 (655%) 6 4 3 0 3 5 6 5 5 8 60 2 5
  HIQjRQ, gRjjas 82 1-65 (15%) 5-6 (5%) 0-0 (655%) 8 9 7 4 6 5 8 5 5 8 69 84 5
3 WallaiBs, v.g. 82 3-0 (25%) 8-4 (11.9%) 5-6 (5%) 8 8 3 4 3 5 8 5 5 8 63 63 5
60 HuQdlR, vijZR 82 8-3 (05%) 8-7 (88.8%) 8-8 (655%) 6 1 9 0 6 5 8 5 5 4 68 64 5
  zIhjsIj, giBaij 85 8-0 (35%) 5-5 (5%) 6-6 (655%) 8 8 3 6 8 5 5 6 5 6 0 0 5
  KjITlRs, OQRsUIj 62 5-8 (5%) 4-9 (38.7%) 5-5 (5%) 6 6 8 8 0 5 4 5 5 6 7 3 5
48 ApiURs, quDRjR 65 4-4 (655%) 5-6 (5%) 6-6 (655%) 4 4 1 5 6 5 5 6 5 5 9 68 5
wIUil   82-05 (01.5%) 63-49 (49.2%) 85-80 (25.5%) 61 40 06 83 81 5 66 1 5 60 662 667  



Terms:
Field Goals :  2PM-A  (2 point Field Goal made-attempts)     3PM-A  (3 point Field Goal made-attempts)   FTM-A (free throws made-attempt)
Rebounds : OFF (Offensive)  DEF (Defensive)   TOT  (total)
Fouls : CM (Committed)  RV (received)
Blocks : FV (In Favor)  AG (Against)
Other terms : MIN (minutes)  AST (assists)  ST (steals)   TO (Turnovers)   PTS (points)  RNK (ranking)