Mangas Drops 30, McGriff Adds 25 as Mad Ants Win 5th Straight 

Indianapolis, In. - The Indiana Mad Ants took on the Salt Lake City Stars Saturday night for the second of back-to-back home games. The offense scored a season-high 132 in a 132-103. Kyle Mangas sank six three-pointers on his way to a team-high 30 points. Meanwhile, Cameron McGriff scored 25 points one night after dropping 24 points. The Mad Ants improved to 2-0 in the regular season and have now won five straight. 

Cameron McGriff, after scoring 24 points on Friday, scored the first three points of the night on Saturday. Off the pass from Dakota Mathias, McGriff knocked down the corner three on the Mad Ants first possession. McGriff scored again a minute later. Cutting through the lane, Jahlil Okafor found McGriff who finished with the left-handed layup. 

With seven minutes left in the first quarter, Okafor found a lane on the baseline for a two-handed dunk. Two minutes later, Tristen Newton attacked the lane and drew a shooting foul. He converted the one-for-two free throw attempt. On the next possession, Kyle Mangas added two points to his total with a mid-range jumper. 

Late into the quarter, Mangas crossed over his defender freeing him for a three-point field goal. On the next possession, Newton made it back-to-back threes. The former UConn Husky hit again from downtown on the following possession. The flurry of threes brought the Mad Ants back to tie the game at 29 heading into the second quarter. Indiana trailed by as many as nine points in the first quarter. Mangas and Newton led the team with 11 points each. 

Ishmael Lane scored the first points of the second quarter. The big man absorbed contact to make the close-range shot. A minute later, the Northwestern State alum was fouled and made his one-for-throw free throw. Josiah-Jordan James scored his first points of the night with a three-pointer on the next possession. Indiana had a 36-33 lead three minutes into the quarter. 

McGriff threw down a two-handed slam off the feed from Okafor with just under seven minutes to go in the first half. Mangas drove the lane for a layup on the next possession. The Indiana Wesleyan alum scored again on the following possession. Dakota Mathias found Mangas cutting towards the basket and Mangas rose up for the two-handed dunk. With five minutes remaining, Indiana’s lead was 53-42. 

The Mad Ants went on a 30-13 run during the second quarter to take a 59-42 lead. Okafor added to the lead with a close-range shot over Oscar Tshiebwe. McGriff added two points to his total with a one-for-two free throw at the 1:08 mark of the second quarter. With under a minute to go, McGriff added two more points after being fouled again. At the end of the half, Indiana had a 67-46 lead over the Stars. Mangas led the team with 17 points at the break. 

McGriff scored the first points of the second half. The Texas native knocked down a corner three giving him 14 points on the night. Less than a minute later, Mangas continued his hot shooting after draining a wide open three-ball in the corner. Two minutes into the third quarter, the Mad Ants had a 73-49 lead. 

Halfway through the third quarter, McGriff added to his point total with a pull-up three-pointer. He tied Mangas for the team-high with 20 points. On the next possession, Okafor went to the line after being fouled going for a layup. The 6’10” center made the one-for-two free throw giving him 16 points. 

With time winding down in the third quarter, Lane attacked the rim and threw down a fierce one-handed dunk. De’Vion Harmon scored on the next possession with a driving layup. The Mad Ants made it three consecutive positive possessions after a made field goal from McGriff. Harmon beat the buzzer with a fadeaway mid-ranger jumper. After three quarters, the Mad Ants had a 108-76 lead. McGriff was the leading scorer with 25 points. 

Lane scored the first points for the Mad Ants in the fourth quarter. Cleaning up a missed shot, he put it in for his 9^th and 10^th points of the night. On the next possession, Mangas demonstrated his smooth stroke with another three-pointer. After that make, he had 23 points on 5-8 shooting from downtown.  

Under seven minutes remaining, Mangas floated the ball of the glass for a two-pointer. Newton traversed through the defense on the next possession to make the off-balance layup. That shot gave him 17 points. With five minutes to go, the Mad Ants had a 119-95 lead. 

In the final minutes of regulation, Harmon drove the lane and finished with the left-hand layup. Keisei Tominaga made the building erupt after sinking a three-pointer off the feed from Harmon. Indiana scored a season-high 132 points and defeated the Stars for the second straight night. 

Notes 

The Mad Ants will hit the road for a three-road trip beginning on Monday, December 30^th when they face the Westchester Knicks. Tip-off will be at 7:00 p.m. The two clubs will face each other again on Wednesday, January 1^st at 1:00 p.m. The Mad Ants next home game will be Tuesday, January 7^th against the Maine Celtics at 12:30 p.m. 

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The Indiana Mad Ants are the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. The franchise is currently playing in its 18^th season dating back to 2007-2008. The Mad Ants have been a part of Pacers Sports and Entertainment since 2015. The club plays their home games at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse located at 125 South Pennsylvania Street in downtown Indianapolis. Purchase Mad Ants tickets here or visit the Gainbridge Fieldhouse Box Office.