NIGHTHAWKS FAIL TO MAINTAIN LEAD; RAZORSHARKS COMEBACK, WIN 123-102

March 12, 2008

Box Score: L 123-102, (6-12)

(By: Alanna Stage- Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)

Rochester, NY -- The Rochester RazorSharks put an exclamation point at the end of their regular-season home schedule Wednesday. The team, which hasn't lost at Blue Cross Arena since November 2005, made a 37-point swing to defeat the Maryland Nighthawks, 123-102.

The RazorSharks (17-2) overcame a 12-point second-quarter deficit with a 17-1 run against the last-place Nighthawks (6-12).

"It is close to St. Patrick's Day, so we figure they found a lucky charm in the first half," Franklin grad Marlin Johnson said.

Johnson came off the bench for 16 points and a team-high 13 rebounds as six RazorSharks finished in double figures. Forward Sammy Monroe also had a double-double with 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Rochester, winner of 45 in a row at home, saw Maryland build its lead with a red-hot 5-for-7 from beyond the 3-point arc. Omar Weaver accounted for four as he scored 11 in the first quarter for the Nighthawks

Meanwhile, Maryland's tight zone defense kept Rochester out of the paint and off the boards in the early going. Maryland outrebounded Rochester 13-6 in the first quarter.

Rochester also was missing strong forward James Reaves, who sat out with a sore back. He leads the team in rebounding (nine per game) and is third in scoring average (14.9 ppg).

Reaves said he is planning to take this week to rest and get back into action next week as the team enters the postseason.

Maryland's defense remained stingy throughout the second quarter, allowing the Nighthawks to extend the lead to 16 points with two minutes remaining in the half.

But Rochester's leading scorer, Keith Friel, refused to let his team timidly retreat into the locker room without making a quick run.

Friel scored six points in 44 seconds, pulling Rochester within 10. He then assisted on Monroe's 3-pointer, closing the gap to seven, the closest the contest had been since the four-minute mark of the first quarter.

Rochester kept the rally going into the third quarter. Monroe opened with a 3-pointer from the left key to pull within five, and Ron Rollerson's layup closed the gap to 56-53 two minutes into the quarter.

Jerice Crouch tied the game 56-56 a minute later, and the RazorSharks never looked back. They used the Nighthawks' chief weapon against them — nailing back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 65-57 lead.

"We were giving them way too many easy shots, so (in the second half) we just wanted to contest every shot, rebound and run," Crouch said. "Once we got into transition, it was lights out."

Crouch finished with a team-high 21 points and made five assists.

Rochester looked true to form in the fourth quarter — extending its lead in dominating fashion. In a four-minute span, the RazorSharks almost doubled the 16-point lead they took into the final quarter, going ahead 103-75. Over the same span, their defense held the Nighthawks to four points.

Friel led the charge, scoring 12 of his 18 in the fourth quarter.