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Several times when the Mad Ants had the basketball, the public address system at Memorial Coliseum would often blare, “Ev-ry-body clap your hands.” And a few of the few in the building would comply.
If not for the recording, there wouldn’t have been many reasons to applaud.
Already having made an early-season tradition of falling behind by double figures then catching up, the Ants did one of the two Tuesday. They fell behind early again – by 21 at halftime. It’s just that they didn’t catch up, losing for the second time in three nights to Sioux Falls, 111-98.
Had it not been for Sioux Falls easing off the pedal through the last half, it had a shot at topping the most ever points scored against Fort Wayne – 135 last year by Rio Grande Valley.
The SkyForce took a 69-48 lead at halftime and had 93 points going into the fourth quarter.
“Their pick-and-roll game was hurting us, and our (defensive) rotations were not there, and we worked on it so much,” Ants coach Jaren Jackson said.
Seven Sioux Falls players scored in double figures, and through the first half, particularly, the SkyForce profited from the paint more than Rembrandt, shooting 63 percent (24 of 38) from the field.
Like the rotations not being there, Jackson said the same about his bench, which was outscored 28-14.
“I was disappointed in some of the players that I played,” Jackson said. “I didn’t want to play Ron Howard that many minutes (43:26). DeWitt Scott, 34 minutes; you don’t see that. I know they’re glad to be on the floor, and all. I don’t want to do that. I’m expecting more production from the guys who I put into the game.”
But it wasn’t the bench that put the Ants in the hole. Fort Wayne held a 4-2 lead but promptly gave up 13 unanswered points in a little over three uninspired minutes, and from there Sioux Falls kept building its lead.
Still, the Ants hadn’t been squished yet. They got within 100-87 when Sioux Falls wanted a timeout and answered with a three-pointer from Frank Williams from directly in front of the Ants’ bench with 5:53 to play.
“Oh, no!” Jackson even yelled when Williams took the shot.
Howard finished with 30 points in his 43 1/2 minutes, and Scott had 18 in his 34 1/2 .
stwarden@jg.net
