UNIONDALE, N.Y. (Interstat) — The Long Island Nets opened their season with a victory, holding off a late rally to defeat the Capital City Go-Go 109-102 in a G League game Friday night at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

In a contest that saw 10 lead changes and was tied on nine occasions, the Nets used a balanced scoring attack and a strong third quarter to create separation before securing the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

Capital City started strong, taking an early lead and finishing the first quarter with 25 points. The Go-Go’s offense exploded in the second period, pouring in 38 points to keep the game tight. Long Island led 54-63 at halftime.

The Nets began to pull away in the third quarter, outscoring the Go-Go 29-20 to build a double-digit advantage. They maintained that lead for much of the final period, but Capital City mounted a furious comeback in the closing minutes.

A 26-foot 3-pointer by Jonathan Pierre with 18 seconds remaining cut the Nets’ lead to 108-105. After a missed free throw by Long Island’s Ben Saraf, the Go-Go had a chance to tie, but Alondes Williams missed a 3-point attempt. Pierre secured the offensive rebound but missed a subsequent shot, and Tyler Smith’s put-back attempt was blocked by Danny Wolf as time expired to seal the win for the Nets.

Saraf led the Nets with a key performance down the stretch, contributing critical points in the fourth quarter. Jeenathan Williams, Hunter Cattoor, and Dre Davis also provided significant contributions in the victory.

For the Go-Go, Williams and Smith provided consistent offense throughout the game, but the team’s comeback effort fell just short. Capital City’s record falls to 0-1 to start the season, while Long Island begins its campaign 1-0.

The two teams are scheduled to meet again at the same venue on Sunday. According to Interstat’s ELO system, Long Island was projected with a 57.60 percent probability to win the contest.

Capital City’s next 10 games include a rematch with Long Island, followed by home contests against Westchester and a pair of road games at College Park. Long Island’s upcoming schedule features the second game against Capital City, followed by a two-game road trip to Maine and a subsequent homestand against Greensboro.