Skyforce Take Down The Toros

Finishing is the mantra for Coach Joel Abelson and the Sioux Falls Skyforce.  Hearkening back to the loss against Texas the team led late, but didn’t finish.  The lessons learned paid off as Sioux Falls beat the Austin Toros 115-105 Friday night to keep the best record in the NBA Development League.

In a back and forth game it came down to an eerily similar situation.  Austin had closed to within four points with 1:12 left.  In the last game against Texas, the Skyforce led by five points with 90 seconds left.  This was Troy Hudson’s time.  He drove the lane, made the layup to lead by six.  The league's leading shot blocker Jarvis Varnado stuffed the next shot by Austin’s Trey Kelley and the game was in hand.  The final margin was ten, but neither team was in control as each team took turns leading at the quarter breaks.

Most of the game was played in the paint and the depth in the frontcourt served the Skyforce well.  Varnado scored 12 and grabbed 12 boards with Demetris Nichols adding 19 counters.  New acquiree Hassan Whiteside netted 14 points with 10 rebounds off the bench.  Three Austin forwards correspondingly got into foul trouble trying to keep up.  In the backcourt, the marquee matchup between two NBA ready guards was as advertised.  Andrew Goudelock led the Skyforce with 26 points while reigning MVP Justin Dentmon of the Toros chipped in 16 points and 7 assists. The Toros got a stellar effort from Tyler Wilkerson with 22 points and 11 boards.

Goudelock talked after the game about his improved shooting and their frontcourt depth.

The second game of the back-to-back is Saturday night at the Sioux Falls Arena at 7pm Central Time.