Swarm Fall To Cruise 133-118

GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Greensboro Swarm (19-10), the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, fell to the Motor City Cruise (17-12), 133-118, on Saturday at Novant Health Fieldhouse.

PJ Hall recorded a career-high 32 points and 13 rebounds on 12-of-18 shooting, including a 3-of-5 mark from beyond the arc, to lead Greensboro. Jaylen Sims added 22 points and seven rebounds off the bench, while Tosan Evboumwan finished with 21 points and eight rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting. The Swarm also went 18-of-20 from the free throw line.

Isaac Jones led Motor City with a career-high 34 points on 15-of-22 shooting to go along with 15 rebounds and five assists. Wendell Moore Jr. and Brice Williams added 27 and 23 points, respectively, with Williams shooting 7-of-10 from the field, all from 3-point range, and Moore Jr. finishing 10-of-17.

Returning to Greensboro, Drew Peterson posted 20 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists across 40 minutes.

Motor City opened the game with early offense from Moore Jr., who scored seven of the team’s first 15 points during a 15-9 Cruise run. The visitors pushed their lead to double digits midway through the period and carried a 32-27 advantage into the second quarter. Moore Jr. and Jones each scored 10 points in the frame, while Hall paced Greensboro with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting and three rebounds.

Greensboro opened the second quarter with a 9-4 run to tie the game at 36, as Hall connected on a top-of-the-key 3-pointer and a post layup before Sims banked in a transition finish for the equalizer. The stretch sparked a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than six points the rest of the half. The Swarm closed the period on a 9-4 run to take a 63-61 lead into halftime.

Hall’s 17 first-half points on 7-of-9 shooting and Greensboro’s perfect 9-of-9 mark from the free throw line helped the Swarm hold the edge at the break, while Jones and Moore Jr. led the Cruise with 20 and 16 points, respectively.

Motor City opened the second half on an 18-7 run, capped by a John Ukomadu and-one dunk, to take a nine-point lead at the first timeout. The Cruise extended the margin throughout the quarter and entered the fourth with a 103-89 advantage.

Greensboro made multiple pushes in the final frame but was unable to close the gap.

Next up, the Swarm host a back-to-back set against the Delaware Blue Coats on Tuesday, March 10, and Wednesday, March 11. Tickets for its opening matchup are available here, with Wednesday’s game available here.