SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (Interstat) — The Santa Cruz Warriors held off a furious fourth-quarter rally by the Sioux Falls Skyforce to secure a 110-103 victory in a G League contest Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.

The Warriors built a commanding 80-60 lead late in the third quarter, capitalizing on a balanced offensive attack and forcing Sioux Falls into a series of early turnovers and missed shots. Santa Cruz guard L.J. Cryer spearheaded the effort, hitting multiple three-pointers to stretch the defense, while big men Charles Bassey and Malevy Leons controlled the paint at both ends.

Sioux Falls, however, refused to capitulate. Trailing 93-80 entering the final period, the Skyforce unleashed a stunning 23-3 run over the next five and a half minutes, erasing the deficit and taking a 103-96 lead. Point guard Jahmir Young ignited the surge with his driving playmaking, and Dennis Smith Jr. contributed key three-pointers during the burst. The Skyforce’s full-court pressure also generated critical turnovers, disrupting Santa Cruz’s rhythm.

The game’s decisive shift came in the final three minutes. After a timeout, the Warriors immediately responded as Bassey drilled a three-pointer to halt the Skyforce run. On the next possession, Cryer connected on another deep three, cutting the lead to 103-102. Following a Sioux Falls miss, Leons converted a driving layup to put Santa Cruz back ahead for good at 104-103 with just over two minutes remaining.

Sioux Falls had multiple opportunities to reclaim the lead but came up empty on several possessions, including a blocked shot by Marques Bolden. The Warriors then sealed the game at the free-throw line in the final seconds, with Cryer, Leons, Bassey and Franco Miller combining to hit eight of ten attempts in the clutch.

The win improved Santa Cruz’s record to 9-17, while Sioux Falls fell to 16-12. The two teams are scheduled for a rematch at the same venue Saturday night.

The most important part of the game was Santa Cruz’s resilience in weathering Sioux Falls’ massive fourth-quarter comeback. After surrendering a 13-point lead and falling behind by seven, the Warriors demonstrated composure, executing immediately out of a timeout with back-to-back three-pointers from Bassey and Cryer to swing momentum and retake the lead, a sequence from which the Skyforce never recovered.