FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Kenny Hayes scored nine points in less than two minutes Thursday night as the Maine Red Claws took a 100-95 lead with 4:34 remaining and held on for a 113-111 victory against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.
The Mad Ants opened a 27-18 lead with a 13-4 run in the final 5:20 of the first quarter. Maine got within two in the second and one in the third before finally pulling even at 83 on a layup by Hayes with 11:21 remaining in the fourth.
Fort Wayne got back-to-back baskets from Cameron Jones and Devan Downey to take a 93-89 lead with 7:36 to play, but Craig Brackins of Maine hit a pair of free throws with 7:21 left and Hayes started his 9-2 run a minute later.
Ron Howard cut Fort Wayne’s deficit to 107-105 on a bank shot with 36 seconds left, but Xavier Silas answered with a 3-pointer for Maine 8 seconds later. The Mad Ants made it a two-point game again with nine-tenths of a second left on a 3-pointer by Ramon Harris.
Brackins had 24 points and 10 rebounds for the Red Claws, who improved to 12-17. Hayes finished with 21 points and 10 assists, and Lawrence Hill had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Morris Almond added 19 points.
The Mad Ants got 27 points from Howard and 24 from Jones. Darnell Lazare added 18 points.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
