Capital City vs. Noblesville
NOBLESVILLE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Capital City Go-Go avenged an overtime loss from the afternoon before with a dominant offensive performance, defeating the Noblesville Boom 130-114 in a G League contest Sunday at the Arena at Innovation Mile.
Fueled by a historic first-quarter explosion, the Go-Go built an insurmountable lead and never looked back, improving their season record to 18-19. Noblesville fell to an even 19-19.
The most critical phase of the game was its opening minutes. Capital City came out with palpable energy following a 128-125 overtime defeat on the same floor Saturday. The Go-Go’s offense was nearly flawless in the first quarter, scoring 45 points and shooting with remarkable efficiency from beyond the arc. Center Skal Labissiere set the tone immediately, hitting a 28-foot 3-pointer just 19 seconds into the game. The barrage continued as Labissiere, Damari Monsanto and Chris Livingston connected repeatedly from deep, stretching the Boom defense.
Capital City’s ball movement was exceptional, with point guard Kadary Richmond piling up assists in the early going. The Go-Go led 45-29 after one period, a deficit from which Noblesville could not recover. The Boom, despite a valiant 33-point fourth quarter, spent the entire game fighting uphill against a deficit that ballooned to as many as 26 points.
Labissiere, the 6-foot-11 center from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, was instrumental in the fast start and finished as a key contributor. He was complemented by strong performances from forwards Chris Livingston of Akron, Ohio, and Akoldah Gak, who provided efficient scoring inside. Guards Kadary Richmond of Brooklyn, New York, and Keshon Gilbert of St. Louis, Missouri, directed the offense and applied consistent pressure.
For Noblesville, center Jalen Slawson and guards DaJuan Gordon and Cameron Hildreth of Worthing, England, led the comeback efforts. Hildreth’s driving play and Slawson’s interior presence kept the Boom within striking distance, but they could never string together enough stops to seriously threaten the Go-Go’s lead.
The game’s intensity peaked in the fourth quarter with a series of technical fouls leading to the ejections of Noblesville’s Au’Diese Toney and Capital City’s Nolan Hickman and Keshon Gilbert with 5:22 remaining. Despite the chippy finish, the outcome had been decisively shaped in the game’s opening stanza.
According to Interstat’s ELO system, Noblesville had entered the game with a 70.7 percent probability to win, a projection thoroughly dismantled by Capital City’s early execution. The Go-Go’s 130-point total marked a season high in a regulation game and showcased their offensive potential when operating at peak rhythm.
Capital City returns home to face Birmingham on Tuesday. Noblesville begins a road trip at Rio Grande Valley on Friday.