DES MOINES, Iowa – Othyus Jeffers and Kyle Weaver combined for 44 points as the Iowa Energy survived a second-half charge by the Maine Red Claws, pulling out a 108-107 victory in front of 3,216 at Wells Fargo Arena on Thursday night.
Jeffers provided the go-ahead layup with 51 seconds remaining after the Red Claws rallied from deficits of 64-39 at halftime and 84-69 after three quarters.
Maine opened the fourth with a 27-12 run, tying it at 96 on a layup by Matt Janning with three minutes remaining. Iowa answered with four straight points, but Maine tied it at 102 on Janning’s layup with one minute to play before Jeffers gave the Energy their final lead.
Stefhon Hannah added a pair of free throws to make it 106-102 with 29.5 seconds remaining. Jamar Smith pulled the Red Claws within one with a 3-pointer, but Curtis Stinson knocked down two more from the line with 19.7 seconds to play to provide the winning margin.
Maine got its final points on a pair of free throws by Mario West with 3.6 on the clock.
The Energy shot better than 42 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the free-throw line as they improved to 10-3. Jeffers had 13 rebounds to go with his 22 points, and Weaver chipped in 10 boards.
Four other players reached double digits in scoring for Iowa: Hannah (16), Michael Haynes (15), Stinson (12) and Scott VanderMeer (10).
DeShawn Sims had 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Red Claws, who shot 46 percent from the floor and 74 percent from the line.
West chipped in 17 points and seven rebounds, and Tiny Gallon had 16 points and seven boards. Kenny Hayes added 12 points.
Maine fell to 6-7.
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