The Mavericks post an 87-77 victory over Rochester to take sole possession of first place in the PBL.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester RazorSharks 41-game home winning streak was snapped on Monday afternoon at the Blue Cross Arena by the Kentucky Mavericks, 87-77.
The loss puts the Sharks at a record of 8-2, with both defeats coming at the hands of the Mavericks. Kentucky (8-1) took over sole possession of first place in the Premier Basketball League with the victory.
The first loss to the Mavs occurred last week in Owensboro. Monday’s game was very similar to the first meeting as Kentucky got out to an early lead and increased it to over 20 points. The Sharks made a run at the end to bring the deficit to single digits, but the result was the same – a 10-point loss for Rochester.
The 77 points by the Sharks is tied for the fewest they ever scored at home.
Neither side played very well on the offensive end, as the Sharks finished shooting 32% from the field, compared to 36% for the Mavs.
Whether the refs had a quick whistle, or players were playing a bit too physically, it was clearly a sloppy game, as the two teams combined for 61 fouls, in addition to 49 turnovers. The Mavericks actually fouled more and turned the ball over more, but their inside game was much more consistent, out-rebounding and out-scoring Rochester in the paint.
The RazorSharks were paced by Jerice Crouch with 19 points and 6 rebounds, and Deverell Biggs who scored 12 points, including 4 steals late in the game. Sidney Holmes led the home side with 9 rebounds, and Jordan Railey blocked 5 shots.
For the Mavs, Robert Crawford tallied a game-high 21 points, with 7 rebounds and 3 steals, while former NBA player, Jackie Butler, posted a double-double with 10 points and 15 boards.
The RazorSharks return home on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7 pm to take on the Ohio Bootleggers. Rochester beat Ohio last weekend in a comeback thriller for the Sharks. Tickets are available now at the Blue Cross Arena box office.