By Rahsaan Thomas
Staff Writer
The visiting Christian Sports Ministry “Green Team” swept the Warriors and Kings in a basketball double header. The Warriors lost their fourth straight game of the season 76-63. In the Kings’ game, Brion Krivoy, normally a bench-rider, led the Green Team from down 20 to win 65-60.
The day opened with a moment of silence for Muhammad Ali, the former heavyweight champion who died the night before the June 4 game.
Krivoy started the first game against the Warriors on the bench while former pro player Evan Fjeld went to work. Fjeld says he played pro overseas and in the D-league with Oklahoma City’s Tulsa team and in Maine. He scored 40 points including flushing down a dunk, showing why he’s known as the “Plumber” in San Quentin.
The Warriors kept the game close, down 2 at 54-52 at the end of the third quarter. However, they had no answer for Fjeld.
“I thought we played a whole lot better, but we still have to learn how to finish,” said Warrior Coach Daniel Wright.
With 3:26 left in the game, the Warriors had a chance to close the gap at 65-61 but Green Team’s Chris Blees scored a layup, then grabbed the offense rebound on the other end. Fjeld scored, putting the Green Team up 73-61.
With 39 seconds on the clock, Warrior Harry “ATL” Smith stole the ball, passed down court to Allan McIntosh who passed it to Anthony Ammons for the dunk, making the score 73-65.
The Warriors fouled to stop the clock, and the Green Team finished from the free-throw line.
Four Warriors finished with double figures, including McIntosh with 17 points and 12 rebounds; Tevin Fournette with 15 points and 11 rebounds; Dave Lee with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal and Ammons with 12 points.
Blees had 16 points and 6 rebounds, and teammate Pat Lacey scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
For the Kings game, Fjeld left and Krivoy moved into the starting lineup.
Krivoy missed his first six shots, and the Kings were up 50-31 with 4:08 left in the third quarter. Then Krivoy got hot. He dropped three out of four from three-point range to lead his team’s comeback.
“I’m used to sitting on the end of the bench so it’s extra special when I can contribute to the game itself,” said Krivoy.
Krivoy did not make his Claremont-McKenna college basketball team with Lacey, Blees, Tajas Gala and Pinson. However, Krivoy says he won an under-six-foot one-on-one intramural league championship.
Blees motivated his team in the huddle to stop the Warriors on the offense boards or go sit on the bench. The Green Team snatched every offense board afterward, except one. The Kings were out-rebounded 54-45.
With 1:30 left in the fourth quarter, Pinson, who went 0-9 from the field against the Warriors and 2-10 against the Kings, got his team the lead with a three-pointer, making the score 61-60.
Missed shots and Green Team offensive rebounds forced the Kings to foul to stop the clock. Lacey and Pinson hit their free throws and secured the win.
Lacey got a second double double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Blees led his team with 17 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal. Gala clocked 11 points and 12 rebounds.
D. “Zayd” Nickolson and Demond Lewis led the Kings with 10 points each.
“That was a battle,” said Lacey. “Really good basketball.”