Fort Wayne 95, Los Angeles 93

Fort Wayne, Jan. 20 --The Fort Wayne Mad Ants used a strong fourth-quarter performance to end a three-game losing streak and defeat the Los Angeles D-Fenders, 97-95, at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum on Sunday.

The D-Fenders controlled the first three quarters of play, leading by as many as 14 points, but the Mad Ants went on an 11-2 run to open up the fourth quarter to bring them within two points.

The Ants' Eric Smith scored six of his 16 points in the final quarter. The two teams fought through four ties and three lead changes in the last four minutes of the game. With five seconds remaining and the score tied at 93, Walker Russell Jr. sank a 22-foot jumper to give the Ants the victory.

Ron Howard led the way for the Mad Ants, scoring 21 points while shooting 67 percent from the floor. Point guards Russell Jr. and Earl Calloway chipped in 16 points apiece.

The D-Fenders had five players in double digits, led by Wendell White with 23 points. Devin Green and Sean Banks scored 17 and 16 points, respectively.

With the Victory, the Mad Ants ended the D-Fenders’ six-game winning streak, which included a win over the Mad Ants less than a week ago at the NBA D-League Showcase. The D-Fenders are now 15-5 on the season, while the Mad Ants improved to 9-12.