COATS CONTAIN SWARM, WIN 111-102
By Delaware Blue Coats Staff /January 28, 2025
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WILMINGTON – Jan. 26, 2025 – The Delaware Blue Coats took down the Greensboro Swarm by a final score of 111-102 at Chase Fieldhouse on Sunday afternoon.
“Any time you win it feels good,” said head coach Mike Longabardi. “Our guys have put a lot of time in. We played ten games in a row with eight players, it wears down. Our guys are trying and guys have been injured, but we try to make no excuses and we got some help today.”
The Coats got reinforcements in the form of Ricky Council IV, on assignment from Philadelphia, and two-way players Jeff Dowtin Jr. and Pete Nance.
Delaware got off to a hot start offensively, going on a 19-3 run over the course of just under five minutes to push their lead to 16. However, Greensboro responded with a 14-6 run of their own to cut the deficit to single-digits and head into the second trailing 31-23.
The two teams mostly kept pace in the second, as Council IV led the charge with a game-high 10 points in the quarter, followed by six points from both Jaylen Martin and Dowtin Jr. which sent the Coats into halftime with a 62-51 lead.
Delaware came out of the break with a purpose, opening the third quarter with a 10-0 run led by five points from Nance to extend their lead to 21. The Coats led by as many as 22 in the frame, but similar to the first, the Swarm made a late push and capped the penultimate quarter on a 11-2 run to enter the fourth trailing 84-73.
Greensboro rode that momentum into the final frame, as they kicked off the fourth with a 7-0 run to make it a four-point game. The Coats were able to recover though, outscoring the Swarm by seven the rest of the way to secure nine-point victory.
In his first game with the Coats this season, Council IV scored a game-high 29 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Jarron Cumberland added 21 points, ten rebounds and eight assists, followed by Dowtin Jr. with 18 points, Nance with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Martin with 14 points. Judah Mintz led Delaware in bench scoring with 12 points.
Greensboro’s two leading scorers came off the bench, as Jaylen Sims had a team-high 23 points followed by Joel Soriano with 17 points and nine rebounds. KJ Simpson led all Swarm starters with 16 points and six assists, and the duo of Reggie Perry and Tidjane Salaun both tallied 11 points.
Up next for the Blue Coats is a road matchup with the Wisconsin Herd on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at Oshkosh Arena. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
ABOUT THE NBA G LEAGUE:
The NBA’s official minor league, the NBA G League prepares players, coaches, officials, training and front-office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. Featuring 31 teams, 30 with direct affiliations to NBA franchises for 2024-25, the league offers elite professional basketball at an affordable price in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere. More than half of all players on end-of-season 2023-24 NBA rosters boasted NBA G League experience. In fostering the league’s connection to the community, its teams, players and staff promote health and wellness, support local needs and interests, and assist in educational development through NBA Cares programs.
ABOUT THE DELAWARE BLUE COATS:
The Delaware Blue Coats are the official NBA G League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers. The Blue Coats won the 2022-23 NBA G League Championship and have made four-straight trips to the postseason. The team won the 2021 Winter Showcase Cup. For ticket information, visit WWW.BLUECOATS.TEAM. The Delaware Blue Coats organization is a Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment property.
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