Osceola vs. Santa Cruz
BONNY DOON, Calif. (Interstat) — Lester Quinones scored 26 points to lead the Osceola Magic to a 106-96 victory over the Santa Cruz Warriors in a G League game Sunday at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
The win completed a two-game road sweep for Osceola, which also defeated Santa Cruz on Saturday. The Magic improved to 11-7, while the Warriors fell to 3-15.
Osceola seized control with a dominant first half, building a 60-47 lead by intermission. The Magic opened the game with a 29-point first quarter and extended their advantage with a 31-point second period. Quinones was instrumental in the early surge, connecting on multiple three-pointers and scoring 15 of his points before halftime.
The most important stretch of the game came late in the second quarter when Osceola closed the half on a 10-2 run to establish a double-digit cushion. After Santa Cruz’s Malevy Leons cut the Magic lead to 44-42 with a free throw, Osceola responded with a driving layup from Phillip Wheeler, a layup by Justin Minaya and a three-pointer from Quinones in the final 34 seconds. Minaya then capped the half with another three-pointer at the buzzer, pushing the lead to 13 and shifting momentum firmly to the visitors.
Santa Cruz, led by Leons’ 20 points and nine rebounds, could not overcome the deficit. The Warriors made several pushes in the second half, closing to within eight points in the fourth quarter, but Osceola consistently answered with timely baskets. A key sequence occurred with just over six minutes remaining when the Magic’s Jarron Cumberland stole a pass and converted a layup while drawing a foul. His ensuing free throw stemmed a Warriors rally and kept Osceola’s lead at 12 points.
Chance McMillian, a Vallejo, California, native, added 15 points for Santa Cruz. For Osceola, Quinones’ efficient 26-point outing on 9-of-18 shooting led a balanced attack. Phillip Wheeler contributed 18 points, Alex Morales had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Will Baker finished with 13 points and seven rebounds. Justin Minaya and Jarron Cumberland each added 13 points.
Osceola’s offense was effective throughout, shooting 48% from the floor and 36% from three-point range. Santa Cruz shot 45% from the field and 32% from beyond the arc. The Magic outrebounded the Warriors 52-42.
According to Interstat’s ELO system, Osceola entered the game with a 66.6% probability to win.
Osceola travels to face Rip City on Wednesday. Santa Cruz visits Austin on Wednesday.