Giants Down Showboats 144-117
The Jacksonville Giants continued their undefeated season with a 144-117 win over the visiting Jackson Showboats. The 6-time ABA Champions made memorable moments all evening.
At halftime Giants veteran Bernard Nugent proposed to his long time girl friend in front of the crowd. The emotions ran high as all the Giants players and families were thrilled to witness this inspirational event. The proposal showed the Jacksonville Giant community come together in a phenomenal way. The proposal was a surprise from Nugent to his long time girlfriend.
In the third quarter, Shontae Stevens made the $500 half court shot. Shontae was the last person to make the attempt. The amazing performance energized the crowd. Ms. Steven’s family was also present during this moment. The players from both teams, as well as the dance teams, showed support.
On the court, Jacksonville continued to impress the home crowd. Calvin Warner and Bernard Nugent led the scoring frenzy for the Giants. Warner had a team high 34 points with Nugent landing 24. Clarence Tillman (19 points) and Brandon Davis (15 points) rounded out the scoring leaders for Jacksonville.
Tonight’s game also welcomed the return of veteran Elijah “Superman” Smith. Smith returned for the Giants and had 10 points. Superman also had multiple slam dunks during the game. Warner and Tillman added thunderous dunks to excite the crowd.
The Giants were pushed in the first half. At one point, the Showboats only trailed 36-35 midway through the second quarter. Tonzell Handy and Darrell Biggs led the scoring for Jackson. However, the Giants were able to unleash a strong offensive output with the leadership of Nugent, Miguel Paul, Warner, and Brenton Williams. Davis also contributed with multiple three pointers on the night.
The Giants continued to switch lineups, which also kept Jackson off guard. The defensive matchups kept the Showboats off balance. Jacksonville continued with press man to man and a combination of zone.
-Matt Potak
