After finishing the preseason 2-0, the Santa Cruz Warriors picked up right where they left off and beat the Austin Toros twice in three days at the Kaiser Permanente Area this past weekend.
The home crowd was in a frenzy once again on opening night last Friday, cheering the Warriors on to a 121-102 victory over the visiting Austin Toros. Seth Curry led the way with a Santa Cruz record 36 points while Cam Jones netted 31.
After Dewayne Dedmon was called up to Golden State, and due to injuries to Joe Alexander and Taylor Griffin, Kevin Kotzur was left as the lone big man on opening night for the Warriors. He was a huge presence inside and finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds. After the game, coach Casey Hill praised his effort. “Kevin is doing phenomenal job,” Hill said with a smile. “I don’t say much to Kevin. He just goes out there and he does his thing.”
The Warriors roster looked markedly different for the second game of their doubleheader, though. Center Dewayne Dedmon and point guard Nemanja Nedovic were assigned from Golden State, and center Hilton Armstrong made his debut with Santa Cruz after becoming a fan favorite last season. All three had big games and helped the Warriors defeat the Toros again, this time by a score of 117-103.
Dedmon finished with 23 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks, and three steals. Nedovic scored at will, tallying 31 points and 3 assists. Armstrong recorded a double-double, notching 11 points and 12 boards.
Dedmon and Nedovic weren’t the only ones that came down from Golden State. Stephen Curry and his family were in the audience as well, cheering on his little brother Seth, who tied a Santa Cruz team record with 11 assists. Stephen had nothing but great things to say about his first Santa Cruz Warriors experience.
“It’s fun. This is awesome,” Curry exclaimed during a halftime interview. “This is my first time here. It’s a lot of fun for the Warriors organization.” Stephen talked about the progress of his Golden State Warriors, how competitive family pickup games were as a kid and what he is thankful for this Thanksgiving: “Health and my family. That’s what it’s all about.”
Photo 1: Point guard Nemanja Nedovic takes the ball up the floor while head coach Casey Hill looks on. Nedovic, on assignment from Golden State, finished with a game-high 31 points.
The Warriors will look to continue their winning ways tonight as they host the Reno Bighorns at the Kaiser Permanente Arena at 7:00 PM. Tickets available at __fg_link_0__ <__fg_link_1__; .
