Dakota burst out of the gate in the first half to the tune of a 10-0 run to start the game. The Wizards played a strong all-around game in the first half, shooting the ball well from the field at 51 percent (22-43), while holding the Armor to just 33 percent from the field (14-42).
After leading by 15 at halftime, 55-40, the Wizards added to their lead in the second half.
In the third quarter, the Wizards broke the game open even further and led by as many as 35 points.
It wasn’t just the shooting woes that troubled Springfield. The Armor committed 20 turnovers in the game, which led to 21 fastbreak points for Dakota.
The Wizards were led by Javaris Crittenton’s 21 point, 12 assist effort. Anthony Goods contributed 19 points, and Renaldo Major and former Armor player Chris Ayer each added 17.
Springfield received solid contributions from Jerry Smith (21 points) and newly acquired Lance Hurdle (17 points). Smith started his fifth game of the season tonight and has played in 37 of the Armor’s 38 games.
The Wizards improve to 14-25 with the victory, one night after topping Maine by one point in Portland. The Armor fall to 10-28 with the loss.
Both teams’ next game is on Sunday. Springfield travels to Maine to take on the Red Claws at 1:00 p.m., while Dakota heads home to host the Reno Bighorns.
