gswmpoole

steph-ayesha-launch-eat-learn-play

Steph & Ayesha Launch Eat. Learn. Play.

road-to-becoming-western-conference-champions

Road to Becoming Western Conference Champions

math-hoops-live-lincoln-square-recreation-center

Math Hoops Live: Lincoln Square Recreation Center

photos-read-to-achieve-with-alfonzo-damian

Photos: Read to Achieve with Alfonzo & Damian

bound-for-better-with-alfonzo-mckinnie

Bound for Better with Alfonzo McKinnie

fits-of-2018

'Fits of 2018

Dreams of a perfect Showcase will have to wait until next season, as Santa Cruz went 1-1 at the MGM Resorts Winter Showcase, losing to the Lakeland Magic 105-92 Thursday night before getting back in the win column with a 102-91 win over the Canton Charge Saturday afternoon in Las Vegas. For all the good Santa Cruz has done in the G League, the one thing it still hasn’t done is go 2-0 at the Showcase in its first seven seasons of existence.

The Sea Dubs are now 5-9 all-time at the Showcase, earning a split for the third straight season. More importantly, Santa Cruz is 13-5 on the 2018-19 campaign and still comfortably in first place in the Pacific Division, currently up three games on the 9-7 Stockton Kings.

The G League Warriors received some help from the Big League Warriors for their Showcase stay, getting 2018 first-round draft pick Jacob Evans III for the pair of games in Vegas. Evans struggled in the first game, scoring seven points on 3-of-13 shooting, but rebounded very well on Saturday, scoring a G League career-high 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting to go along with two rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block. Evans looked much more aggressive in Saturday’s win over Canton and was effective driving to the rim.

Having now played five games with Santa Cruz, Evans is averaging 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 21.4 minutes per game for the Sea Dubs.

After missing four games with a sprained ankle, 4-year NBA veteran Darius Morris returned to the lineup at the Showcase for Santa Cruz. Morris worked off some rust in Thursday’s game and showed signs of still favoring the ankle in the loss to Lakeland (two points, one rebound, one assist and four turnovers in 14 minutes, hobbling at one point down the court) but looked more like himself Saturday against Canton (11 points and six assists in 25 minutes).

The injury came at an inopportune time for Morris, who was in talks with Phoenix about a potential call-up to the Suns before spraining the ankle (the Suns ended up going with a big in Eric Moreland, so it likely didn’t cost him a call-up, but it still didn’t help his cause). Despite the 13 combined points in his first two games back, Morris is still averaging 16.4 points per game on the season to go along with 6.1 assists per outing, which is good for 15th in the G League.

Golden State Warriors two-way forward Marcus Derrickson continues to produce in the G League. Outside of Damion Lee’s 22-point performance Thursday night, Derrickson was one of the lone bright spots for Santa Cruz in the loss to Lakeland, chipping in with 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting before posting a team-high 21 points on 8-of-13 and 3-of-5 shooting from downtown in the win over Canton.

Derrickson has operated more out of the post in recent games as compared to the start of the season but has been effective at all levels. Over his last six games, Derrickson is averaging 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the floor and 48 percent from three.

The Sea Dubs are busy out of the short Christmas reprieve, getting ready to begin a stretch in which they play three games in four days. The action starts Thursday night in Des Moines, as Santa Cruz tips off the first game of a back-to-back against the Iowa Wolves in the Wells Fargo Center, the one-time home of Super Bowl XXXIV MVP Kurt Warner when he was playing for the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League.

Following a back-to-back in which they will go up against former Sea Dub Diamond Stone, who played four games for Santa Cruz in the 2016-17 season while on flex assignment from the Clippers, Santa Cruz will return home to take on the Northern Arizona Suns Sunday night for a 6 p.m. PT tip.

Trying to see the Sea Dubs in person? Make sure you come out Sunday, because Santa Cruz only plays three home games in January and another three in February before the schedule gets more home-heavy in the last month of the G League regular season.