Dazzle's Dominant Start Stifles Groove
GREENVILLE, S.C., Dec. 11 -- The Roanoke Dazzle held the Greenville Groove to 25 first-half points and took a 20-point lead into the locker room at halftime before cruising to an 82-72 victory Tuesday night.
The Dazzle shot 53.6 percent from the field and were led by guard Artie Griffin's 19 points. With the victory Roanoke improved to 5-6 on the season while the Groove fell to 6-7. For the fourth time this season, the Groove failed to get over the .500 mark.
"I think the big thing for our team is how we are going to shoot the ball from outside," said Roanoke head coach Kent Davison. "With the size that we have on the inside, they have to respect that and go double-team. If we can get kick-outs and hit those shots, then we are an awful tough team to beat."
The Dazzle shot the ball well all evening, including 7-for-12 (.583) from beyond the arc. Griffin was 4-for-5 from three-point range and backcourt mate Danny Earl hit two of his four attempts from downtown.
"My teammates did a good job of finding me, I got some good looks and was fortunate enough to knock them down," said Griffin.
Earl finished with 15 points and Marshall Phillips finished with 12. Center Thomas Hamilton, the league's leading rebounder, scored nine points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.
The Groove was led by newcomer Billy Thomas' 15 points (3-for-4 from 3-point range) in his debut at the Bi-Lo Center. DeeAndre Hulett scored 14 points for Greenville, but the Groove could not overcome their poor shooting (.361) and a 28-point deficit in the third quarter.
"We just can't get it going sometimes," said Groove head coach Milton Barnes. "It's tough and frustrating. I keep reminding the guys that's we have a long season to go. The biggest thing for us is to keep working at the things we need to improve on. If we do that, we will be fine. Sometimes you get into a situation where guys just can't make buckets, and it makes it a tough night for you."
