Swarm Routs Boom, 111-107

GREENSBORO, NC – The Greensboro Swarm (23-9), the NBA G League affiliate of the Charlotte Hornets, closed its seven-game roadstand strong on Wednesday, defeating the Noblesville Boom (15-18), 111-107, at Novant Health Fieldhouse to remain atop the Eastern Conference.

PJ Hall paced the Swarm with 21 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 9-of-18 from the field, while Liam McNeeley added 19 points with three makes from beyond the arc. Jaylen Sims chipped in 16 points off the bench, and Antonio Reeves followed with 15, as five Swarm players finished in double figures. Tosan Evbuomwan contributed a 13-point, 12-rebound double-double in the win.

The Boom were led by Dakota Mathias, who poured in a game-high 26 points on 11-of-19 shooting (4-of-9 3PT), with Cameron Hildreth adding 22 points. Keion Brooks Jr. contributed 18 points on an efficient 4-of-5 clip from deep, while Samson Johnson controlled the glass with nine rebounds. Noblesville stayed competitive throughout, but Greensboro used a strong second and third quarter push to secure the 111-107 victory.

Greensboro and Noblesville went back-and-forth early before the Boom strung together an 8-0 spurt to open an early lead. The Swarm’s second unit provided an immediate spark, as Caleb Grill knocked down a pair of 3-pointers to key an 11-5 run that trimmed the deficit to one. Greensboro closed the period with momentum, capped by a transition layup from Grill in the final seconds to make it 36-35 through one.

Grill led the Swarm with eight points in the quarter, while Jaylen Sims added four and Tosan Evbuomwan pulled down a team-high three rebounds. Despite shooting 53.8% from the field, Greensboro trailed narrowly after Noblesville connected on 63.6% from the floor and 4-of-6 from deep.

The Swarm took command in the second quarter, opening the frame on a 13-5 run to grab the lead for good. PJ Hall powered the push inside, converting a pair of buckets around the rim before punctuating the stretch with a dunk in transition to make it 48-41 midway through the period. Greensboro’s defense tightened, holding the Boom to 45.5% shooting in the quarter while forcing four turnovers that led directly to six points on the other end.

Hall led all scorers with 12 points and six rebounds in the half, while Liam McNeeley added 10 points and Marcus Garrett handed out a team-best five assists. The Swarm’s balanced attack included contributions from nine different players, as Greensboro closed the half on a 6-2 run to take a 61-57 lead into the locker room.

The Swarm continued to control the game in the third quarter, pushing their lead into double figures behind a balanced offensive attack. Greensboro used a mid-quarter surge to create separation and maintained the cushion throughout the frame, carrying a 101-87 advantage into the fourth.

Noblesville responded to open the final period, using a 13-2 run to cut the deficit from 16 down to five. Following a timeout from Head Coach DJ Bakker, the Swarm steadied themselves with back-to-back scores to extend the lead back to multiple possessions. The Boom trimmed the margin to five again in the final minutes, but Greensboro answered each time, executing down the stretch to hold off the rally and close out the win.

Next up, the Swarm head on the road to face the Westchester Knicks on Sunday, March 22, at 3 p.m. ET. The team closes its regular-season at home on March 27 and March 28 against the College Park Skyhawks, with tickets available here.