Giants Set Attendance Record in Dominating
Win over Jackson Showboats

The Jacksonville Giants did not disappoint the fan base during Duval County Public Schools night. The Giants set an attendance record for a Jacksonville professional basketball team with a crowd of 8,951. The attendance milestone was also an American Basketball Association (ABA) regular season record and the most since the league was reformed in 2000. The previous record for a Jacksonville-based team and the ABA was set two years ago when the Giants had a crowd of 8,354.

The nearly nine thousand fans witnessed the Giants showcase a decisive 134-78 victory over the Jackson Showboats. The win keeps the Giants (10-4) in contention for their sixth straight Southeast Division title, just a half game behind the Miami Midnites (10-3).

“It was a great crowd and a great night to recognize Duval County public school teachers and staff,” said Giants’ Owner Ron Sholes. “This was a great team win,” added Giants’ head coach Kevin Waters. “We have a lot of talented basketball players on this team and we are really heading in the right direction.”

The record crowd observed an action packed night of basketball and entertainment. From the sharp-shooting 3-pointers from Giants’ guards and perennial ABA all-stars Ed “Hollywood” Horton and Maurice “the Reese” Mickens to high-flying slam dunks the crowd had no shortage of big plays to cheer about. Giants’ power forward Elijah Smith showed the fans why he’s called “Superman” with his big crowd pleasing slams. But it was the Giants’ aggressive full court pressing defense that led the way and helped put the Giants ahead to stay mid-way through the first quarter.

The Giants’ authoritative defensive scheme forced a total of 30 turnovers for the Showboats. The Giants held the Showboats to only 11 second quarter points and headed into the break with a 69-37 halftime lead. Then, the Giants continued their overbearing play throughout the second half and continued to add ally hoops and slam dunks to the highlight reel and giving the fans what they wanted. Newcomer Calvin Warner (6’8″) started for Jermaine “Slim” Bell who has missed the last two weeks of action, but should be back next weekend when the Giants host the Chicago Steam in a Final Four Rematch. Warner, 35, is a Jacksonville native that has played extensively over the past 12 years. “He’s a veteran player that brings great play on the low post and good decision making,” said Waters. Warner demonstrated just that with several blocked shots and provided a dominating presence under the basket on both offense and defense. That’s something the Giants desperately need against the top tier teams in the league.

“The crowd was amazing,” said Giants veteran player Ed Horton, who played with the Giants in their first and third seasons. “I’ve never seen this many people in here before. The intensity and atmosphere was great and we appreciate having everyone come out.”

“To have the crowd come in and do what they did says a lot for the city,” said Giants Assistant Coach Jerry Williams. “Especially with the talk of NBA-D League. I think it shows that the City of Jacksonville can support that.”

Horton led the team in scoring with 20 points followed by Chris Blake (15 points), and Bernard Nuget (14 points). Bastian led the team with 10 rebounds, followed by Brown with 8.

The Giants will be back at the Veterans Memorial Arena next Saturday night, January 16 at 7:00 p.m., against the Chicago Steam in a Final Four rematch from last season.

-Matt Potak, Sports Correspondant

Giants Top Miami 111-108 in Thriller!

The rivalry between the Jacksonville Giants and Miami Midnights has intensified. Following an exciting four game South Florida road trip, the Giants have improved to 9-4 on the season after a 111-108 victory over division leader Miami. After nearly four quarters of grueling play, the Giants found themselves trailing 107-105 with 1:21 left in regulation. Giants point guard Maurice Mickens went 1-2 from the free throw line which cut the deficit to 107-106. On the next possession, Mickens had an inbound steal which led to a Calvin Warner layup putting the Giants back in the lead 108-107. On the ensuing Midnights possession, Antonio Hester made one free throw, tying the score at 108-108. Giants guard Ed Horton quickly took matters into his own hands taking the ball down court and landing a short jump shot to regain Jacksonville’s lead,110-108. Jerrod Tucker’s late free throw sealed the victory for Jacksonville. Bernard Nugent was the leading scorer with 20 points and Mickens was the second leading scorer with 18 points. Hester led Miami with 32 points. “Sticking to the course made us prevail,” said Mickens. Jacksonville split the recent two game series with Miami and has a 2-2 record against them this season. The resilient play of the Giants keeps them in contention for a sixth straight South Division Championship. Jacksonville concludes their South Florida road trip with a 3-1 record while out scoring their opponents by a combined score of 435-376. “Execution pulled the game to a win,” said Tucker. Jacksonville jumped out to an early first quarter lead of 25-19. The Giants used an aggressive defensive strategy that kept pressure on Miami. The defensive pressure forced bad shots and miscues for the Midnights. Horton, Nugent, and Mickens provided an offensive spark for Jacksonville. Jacksonville had a 40-25 lead midway through the second quarter. However, Miami made a late second quarter run on the strength of point guard George Gray and Hester. The Midnights went on a 14-2 run late in the second quarter to cut the Giants lead to 55-49 heading into the half. The second half became one for the ages for both teams. Gray landed a jump shot to tie the score at 55-55 and the battle, between the two leading teams in the ABA South, started to get more energetic. The Giants took a 75-74 lead going into the fourth quarter. Elijah Smith had two highlight real dunks to keep the momentum for Jacksonville. Miami continued to have a difficult time stopping the tandem of Mickens, Horton, and Nugent which kept the Giants in control. Giants Fast Facts After Thursdays Win: -Jacksonville is 2-2 vs Miami this season -Jacksonville went 3-1 on the South Florida road trip -Jacksonville outscored opponents 435-376 during road trip -Jacksonville is currently 5th in the ABA Power Polls -Jacksonville is still in contention for a 6th straight South Division title Next game this Saturday, January 9th, where The Giants take on Jackson Showboats at 7pm Veteran’s Memorial Arena.

#5 Giants Fall to #4 Midnights 118-101 In a tenacious battle, the Jacksonville Giants lost a heartbreaker to the fourth ranked Miami Midnights 118-101 on Tuesday night. The loss snaps Jacksonville’s six straight wins that date back to December 5th. The Giants will be able to redeem themselves in a rematch at Miami on Thursday January 7 at 7PM. Early in the game the Giants jumped out to a quick 8-3 lead behind some impressive shooting from Ed Horton and Maurice Mickens. Bruce Brown also added a slam dunk to keep the Jacksonville momentum going. Both teams continued to go back and forth the remainder of the first quarter with Jacksonville leading 27-26. Miami answered the Jacksonville lead by going on a 13-0 run to start the second quarter. Miami was led by strong outside shooting ability from George Gray along with a tough inside presence of Antonio Hester. The Giants were able to cut the deficit to 39-34 midway through the second quarter. Richard Ford landed a clutch three pointer and a quick jump shot to keep the Giants in contention. However, Miami went on another run going into halftime with a 56-46 lead. Jacksonville continued to battle in the third quarter, but had issues stopping the Midnights offensive flurry. Gray continued to hit three pointers for Miami giving the Midnights a commanding 89-72 lead going into the fourth quarter. However, the Giants showed resilience and did not give up despite trailing by 17 points. Jacksonville opened the fourth quarter going on a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to 89-85. Jacksonville was led by a strong inside game from Elijah Smith while Ford, and Dazeran Jones also added crucial scores. Smith highlighted the Giants offense with another exciting slam dunk. The rally wasn’t enough as Miami added a late offensive run to keep the lead. The Giants missed several three point scoring opportunities late in the game. Giants and Midnites will play again on Thursday, January 7th before returning to Jacksonville to take on the Jackson Showboats this Saturday, January 9th at 7:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Arena. It will Duval County Public Schools Appreciation Night, where all Duval County School employees and their families will receive free admission with their DCPS i.d. Keep up to date with the latest scores while the Giants are out of town by logging onto the Giants Facebook page for score updates and game highlights.

Giants Sweep Gold for Sixth Straight Victory! In professional sports a winning streak always gets a team confident and spirited. On Sunday afternoon the Jacksonville Giants defeated the #11 South Florida Gold, 107-82, for their sixth straight victory. The limitless teamwork has helped the #6 Giants put themselves in position to break into the top 5 of the ABA Power Rankings. “I’m proud of the guy’s performance,” said Giants coach Kevin Waters, whose team is now 8-3 this season. “We are moving in the right direction.” Giants point guard Maurice Mickens showed the entire South Florida area why he is a defending 2014-15 ABA All Star. Mickens was eight of nine from the 3-point line while ending the game with a team high 32 points. Mickens concluded the weekend series vs the Gold with 47 total points. “Repetition is key,” said Mickens of his three point shooting ability. Early in the game it seemed like the Giants were putting on a three point scoring clinic. Jacksonville landed five total three point baskets, in the first quarter, from multiple players. Mickens, Ed Horton, and Chris Blake all had early three’s to give the Giants a swift lead. Defensively the Giants played with an aggressive style of play to hold the Gold to only 16 first quarter points. Jacksonville continued their fast pace offensive tempo with Mickens and Blake’s outside shooting. Mickens scored 11 second quarter points and was perfect from the three point line going three for three. Jerrod Tucker, who ended the game with 12 points, also contributed to the Giants outside scoring. Horton ended the game with 13 points while Blake had 15 points. In the two game series Jacksonville outscored the Gold 206-167. Tucker ended the weekend series with 29 points, which was second on the team for the weekend. Horton was third on the team for the weekend series with 28 total points. Giants Fast Facts After Sunday’s Win • The Giants are now 4-0 vs the South Florida Gold on the season • The South Florida Gold were #4 in ABA Power Poll going into their first series with the Giants on December 19 • During the weekend series vs Gold the Giants had 23 successful three point baskets • Following an 0-2 start, Jacksonville has gone 8-1 since late November • Jacksonville will play at the Miami Midnights on January 5th and 7th • Jacksonville is 1-1 vs the Midnights this season Jacksonville returns home on January 9th for a 7:30 game vs Jackson Showboats at the Jacksonville Veterans Arena for Duval County Public School Appreciation Night.

Giants Win 5th Straight with 99-85 Win over South Florida Gold The Jacksonville Giants continued their successful play on Saturday night with a double digit victory, of 99-85, over the #11 South Florida Gold. The #6 ranked Giants have won five games in a row and currently hold a 7-3 overall record. The victory pushes Jacksonville closer to a potential top 5 spot in the next ABA Power Rankings. The Giants strong offensive play was led by veteran forward and team captain Jerrod Tucker. Tucker’s 17 points was a team high with 14 of his points coming in a very competitive second half, which featured a South Florida scoring surge that put them within 6 points of taking the lead. Tucker’s strong outside shooting ability became too much for the Gold to defend. The Giants used a balanced offensive approach that showcased many notable players on the roster. Ed Horton, Maurice Mickens, and Elijah Smith all contributed with 15 total points in the game. Quentin Bastain came off the bench and added 14 points of which most of his scoring came from the low post. Coach Waters said, “Bastain’s low post ability is what the Giants need in the coming months of the season.” Early in the game South Florida stayed competitive with Jacksonville, only trailing 49-45 at halftime. South Florida was led by strong play from Raymond Taylor and Jeff Remington. Taylor led the Gold, in scoring, with 15 points while Remington followed with 14 points. Mickens and Horton kept the Giants in the lead, throughout the first half, landing five combined three pointers. Smith and Bruce Brown assisted on the inside as both players combined for eight first half points and six rebounds. Coach Waters i The Giants made crucial defensive adjustments in the third quarter to take a 72-64 lead heading into the final quarter of play. Mickens and Tucker had a combined 15 points to close out the fourth quarter scoring which clinched the victory. Jacksonville will now focus on a second game with the South Florida Gold. The game will be held on Sunday afternoon at JC Carter Point, 4:00 tipoff time before heading to Miami for a two game series with the Miami Midnites and returning to Jacksonville for Duval County School Appreciation Night as the Giants will host the Jackson Showboats on Saturday, January 9th, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Arena. Contact the Giants office at 904-355-6531 for ticket information or go to www.jacksonvillegiants.com.

Following a rocky 0-2 start the Jacksonville Giants are back on track with a near perfect month of December. The Giants are now 6th in the latest ABA Power Rankings. Jacksonville has won three games in a row and hold a 4-1 record in the month of December. “I am more excited about the team chemistry than the winning streak,” said Giant’s Coach Kevin Waters. “We have a lot of basketball to play but we are excited about moving in the right direction.” The Giants momentum started with an upset victory over the then number one ranked Miami Midnights on December 6th. Jacksonville defeated Miami in a 109-105 slugfest that featured energetic play from both teams. The Miami game showcased a potent offensive attack led by Maurice Mickens (15 points) and Elijah Smith (11 points).  The Giants continued the streak with a 118-90 win over the South Coast Fire on December 16th. “The chemistry is coming together,” said Waters. “The guys are starting to buy into the Giants system.” The South Coast victory set up a weekend showdown on December 19th and 20th with the fourth ranked South Florida Gold. Jacksonville swept the Gold during the weekend series in two very convincing wins of 132-102 and 134-105. Jerrod Tucker, Mickens, Smith, and Ed Horton all had major contributions in the South Florida win. “We were and still are learning each other, but as I stated earlier the chemistry is coming together.

Giants treat fans to a spectacular night of basketball despite the loss. The Giants game day experience proved to be a night fans will be talking about in spite of the final score. The party started in front of Veterans Memorial Arena with “Giants Game Day” on CW17, and fun filled activities and music for the fans before taking the excitement inside to see two power house ABA teams take the court. With more than 20 lead changes, the Jacksonville Giants and Miami Midnites played a hard fought and exciting game with the Midnites coming out on top 107-96.  The Giants lead by Jermaine “Slim” Bell’s team high 25 points and Maurice Mickens with 21 lead going into the second quarter, but the scoring coming off the bench proved to be the difference in the final score with Miami’s bench outscoring the Giants 59-31. The Giants and Midnites will meet again today at Edward Waters College at 5:00 p.m. before the Giants prepare to host the South Florida Gold on December 19^th at the Veterans Memorial Arena at 7:00 p.m.  For ticket information please call 904-355-6531 or visit our website www.jacksonvillegiants.com. Game Day Crew at the Arena           Mickens scores 21 Contact the Giants office at 904-355-6531 for ticket information.

Giants take early lead over Wildcats and don’t look back. The Jacksonville Giants jumped out to an early 14 point lead in the 1^st quarter and never looked back as they defeated the Atlanta Wildcats 122-109.  The Giants All-Star center, Jermaine “Slim” Bell, lead the team in scoring with a game high 29 points, scoring 10 in the third period to keeping the score out of reach for the Wildcats.  Bernard Nuggent, Jeremie Hart, and Fred Brown, also scored in the double digits contributing to the Giants second win in two days to finish up their Georgia road trip bringing their record to 2-2. Giants’ coaches, Kevin Waters and Jerry Williams are encouraged with the way the team has been improving on the offensive side of the ball, but have been even more impressed with the way their defensive play has been elevated.  Coach Williams said, “The number of fouls our guys have committed are the lowest I have seen in quite some time.  Our defensive game has improved by leaps and bounds, which will prove to be a determining factor when we face Miami in our home opener.” The Jacksonville Giants will face the Miami Midnites this Saturday, December 5^th at 7:00 p.m. for “City of Jacksonville Night” at the Veterans Memorial Arena.  Tickets are on sale now for this “Final Four Re-Match” at www.jacksonvillegiants.com or by calling 904-355-6531.

Giants defeat Warriors in convincing fashion with balanced scoring attack. A balanced scoring attack and minimal fouls elevate the Jacksonville Giants over the Southwest Warriors for their first win of the 2015-2016 season. The Giants outscored the Warriors by more than double digits winning in a convincing fashion with a final score of 113-52, scoring 41 in the second quarter alone. The Giants had seven (7) players scoring in double digits lead by Elijah Smith scoring a team high 19 points hitting three from beyond the 3-point line. Giants head coach Kevin Waters was pleased with the way the Giants as a whole contributed in the scoring, looking especially good from behind the arc. The Giants strong play on the defensive side of the ball was elevated by keeping their fouls to a minimum and limiting the Warriors second chance shots by attacking the boards on both the offensive and defensive rebounding. The Giants will continue their Georgia road trip when they take on the Atlanta Wildcats on Sunday, November 29th at 7:00 p.m. before returning home to Jacksonville where they will prepare for their home opener on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. hosting their division rival Miami Midnites in a 2015 Final Four rematch. The Giants will be honoring city employees for the “City of Jacksonville” night game. The pre-game “Block Party” begins at 5:00 p.m. in front of the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena with bounce houses, face painting, animals from the Jacksonville Zoo, music, and much much more. Contact the Jacksonville Giants at 904-355-6531 or www.jacksonvillegiants.com for ticket information.

Despite last second heroics Giants come up short against the Sharks. With the home opener less than two weeks away, the Jacksonville Giants traveled to Daytona Beach this past weekend to take on division rival Sharks. Despite strong play from veterans Maurice Mickens, Jermaine Bell, and new comer Chris Blake the Giants (0-2) came up short in the final seconds in both games, falling to the Sharks (3-1) by a two (2) points on both Saturday and Sunday. The Giants slow start on offense Saturday had them trailing the Sharks by 12 points at the half. Mickens and Bell led the scoring for the Giants on Saturday with 20 points each, which sparked the Giants offense in the 3rd quarter. Bruce Brown brought the house down with a game tying monster dunk contributing to the 3rd quarter scoring. Trailing the Sharks by 4 points at the start of the 4th quarter, the Giants got within 1 point with .7 seconds left on a 3-point shot from Ty Thomas, before losing 95-93. Giants host Final Four rematch against Miami Midnites. Pre-Game Block Party starts at 5:00 p.m. in front of the Veterans Memorial arena. Enjoy the final minutes of the SEC Football Championship game on the jumbotron prior to game tip off. Call 904-355-6531 for your season tickets. Order your season tickets before Thanksgiving to receive your free gift. On Sunday, Giants guards Chris Blake and Maurice Mickens led the team in scoring with 25 points and 24 points respectively. Despite leading for most of the game, the Giants found themselves on the short end again losing by two on a last second shot by the Sharks. The Giants coaches are disappointed with the losses, but are encouraged by the play at the guard position with Mickens and Blake. The Giants will re-group this week before heading to Georgia to take on the Southwest Warriors and Atlanta Wildcats this weekend. The Giants will return to Jacksonville for their home opener on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Arena hosting their division rival Miami Midnites in a 2015 Final Four rematch. Tickets are available at www.jacksonvillegiants.com.

Despite last second heroics Giants come up short against the Sharks. With the home opener less than two weeks away, the Jacksonville Giants traveled to Daytona Beach this past weekend to take on division rival Sharks. Despite strong play from veterans Maurice Mickens, Jermaine Bell, and new comer Chris Blake the Giants (0-2) came up short in the final seconds in both games, falling to the Sharks (3-1) by a two (2) points on both Saturday and Sunday. The Giants slow start on offense Saturday had them trailing the Sharks by 12 points at the half. Mickens and Bell led the scoring for the Giants on Saturday with 20 points each, which sparked the Giants offense in the 3rd quarter. Bruce Brown brought the house down with a game tying monster dunk contributing to the 3rd quarter scoring. Trailing the Sharks by 4 points at the start of the 4th quarter, the Giants got within 1 point with .7 seconds left on a 3-point shot from Ty Thomas, before losing 95-93. Giants host Final Four rematch against Miami Midnites. Pre-Game Block Party starts at 5:00 p.m. in front of the Veterans Memorial arena. Enjoy the final minutes of the SEC Football Championship game on the jumbotron prior to game tip off. Call 904-355-6531 for your season tickets. Order your season tickets before Thanksgiving to receive your free gift. On Sunday, Giants guards Chris Blake and Maurice Mickens led the team in scoring with 25 points and 24 points respectively. Despite leading for most of the game, the Giants found themselves on the short end again losing by two on a last second shot by the Sharks. The Giants coaches are disappointed with the losses, but are encouraged by the play at the guard position with Mickens and Blake. The Giants will re-group this week before heading to Georgia to take on the Southwest Warriors and Atlanta Wildcats this weekend. The Giants will return to Jacksonville for their home opener on Saturday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Arena hosting their division rival Miami Midnites in a 2015 Final Four rematch. Tickets are available at www.jacksonvillegiants.com.