Racers Road Games Yield Mixed Results
MECHANICVILLE — The Saratoga Racers rang in the new year on the road, splitting a pair of contests on Jan. 3 and 11. The American Basketball Association (ABA) squad will wrap up its away series with two more games this weekend against the Hudson Valley Rivermen and Herkimer Originals, before returning home on Jan. 24.
On Jan. 3, against the Binghamton Bulldogs, Saratoga fell 127 to 109 in a game that featured 11 lead changes. It was the Racers’ second-straight loss, dropping their season record to 4-3. All three of the Racers’ losses this season have come at the hands of teams ranked in the top 20 of the ABA’s weekly power rankings.
John Ryals III collected 24 points to lead all Saratoga scorers. The Racers poured in buckets at will in the paint, shooting 38-65 from inside the arc and 9-26 (35%) from beyond the arc. Saratoga pressured the ball all game, collecting 17 steals. Tobias Holmes led his team with 3 swipes. Joey Harden led Saratoga with 7 rebounds. Holmes finished with 19 points, RJ Rosa added 13, and Isaiah Grandison and Luke Perez both netted 11.
On Jan. 11, the Racers fared better, beating the Boston Sharks 161 to 124. The victory improved Saratoga’s season record to 5-3. Donovan Williams scored 15 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 13 assists, earning the first-ever triple-double in Racer’s history.
Holmes led all scorers with 39 points, and every other Racer who played in the contest finished with a double-digit scoring performance.
Saratoga controlled the game from the opening tip, never giving up the advantage. The lead reached a peak of 48 points at 106-58.
The Racers again scored at will in the paint. They went 48-77 from inside the arc. They controlled the glass, collecting 66 total rebounds, with Isaiah Grandison leading the team with 16 boards. Williams led his squad with 13 assists and 7 steals. Additional top scorers for Saratoga included Rosa (32 points), Wheelings (25), Cam Thomas (19), Grandison (18), Williams (15), and Perez (13).