Riverdragons Defeat Groove

GREENVILLE, S.C., Dec. 27 -- Gabe Muoneke scored 25 points and Ray Tutt scored 24 to lead the Columbus Riverdragons to a 93-90 win over the Greenville Groove in National Basketball Development lead action Thursday afternoon. Columbus never trailed in the game and led by as many as 12 points to earn their 11th win of the season. The Riverdragons improved to 11-7 on the season while the Groove fell to 9-12.

Columbus did most of their damage from the free throw line, outscoring Greenville 34-to-14 from the charity stripe. "It was a good win," said Columbus Head Coach Jeff Malone. "We needed that after two losses on the road. Ray Tutt played well, 10-for-15 with 24 points. We got the stops when we needed them, it was a good win for us going into Roanoke."

Greenville was led by Eric Chenowith's 18 points and nine rebounds, but the Groove could just not close the gap and take the lead. "That's what is so frustrating," said Groove Head Coach Milton Barnes. "We were right there and just didn't make big plays, whether it was a shot of free throws or a rebound."

Tutt was solid all night for the Riverdragons, finishing the afternoon 10-for-15 from the field with a team-high six rebounds. "They were double-teaming Tremaine (Fowlkes) and Gabe (Muoneke), so we had a plan for a guy to cut through to spot up, and they did a good job of hitting the open guys," said Tutt. "Tonight we knocked down a couple of shots."

Columbus led by seven points with 13 seconds to play, but late buckets by DeeAndre Hulett and Billy Thomas cut the final margin to just three points.

The Riverdragons travel to Roanoke for a 7:30 p.m. tip with the Dazzle on Saturday, while the Groove will host the Fayetteville Patriots at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at the BI-LO Center.