Down nine points, with 1:32 left on the clock, James Akinjo tried to put Eugene Omoruyi (game total: 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting, six rebounds and five assists) in a Wisconsin jail before crossing half, as the latter was overly eager to get the possession back.
Omoruyi picked up the foul, and Wisconsin would save their biggest lead of the game (a 16-point lead) until the dying seconds of the game. The game was already slipping away when Ade Murkey subbed in for the Senegalese seven-footer Ibou Badji, who fouled out, and hit a triple with just under two minutes to push the Herd’s six-point lead up to nine. Wisconsin finally snapped their six-game losing streak, while the 905 have now dropped four in a row.
Omoruyi had 12 points in the third frame, more than he had the entire first half. His free throw with 5:36 left in the game put the 905 within five points. When the game mattered most, he tried to step up, but had three turnovers in less than six minutes — getting high-pressure reps in at the G League is great for his development, though.
After drawing the offensive foul from Akinjo, the 905 got the ball back, but Omoruyi turned the ball over, trying to face up Henry Ellenson in the post. Then, after Jared Rhoden forced Ellenson to take a difficult baseline fadeaway jumper, Omoruyi tried to spin baseline from the post and got called for the travel, yet again. He also tried to dribble and attack the hoop late in the fourth like LeBron, but then got caught for travelling to Akron, Ohio.
The 905 went 10-deep while the undermanned Herd only went eight-deep. The first half was at near parity, with the 905 trailing by three points. By the end of the third quarter, the Herd had pushed the lead up to 10 points, spearheaded by two-way player Stanley Umude’s perfect 3-for-3 shooting from downtown. By the end of the game, he led all scorers with 33 points on 11-for-16 shooting (6-for-9 beyond the arc).
Questionable calls didn’t help the 905 gain any momentum. Coach Jones got a technical for yelling that the shot clock shouldn’t start until Kennedy Chandler picked up the ball in the backcourt. Jones’ face said it all.
The 905 made it a two-possession game in the fourth, but their loss wasn’t just a result of late fourth quarter play. By the end of the third, the 905 were 6-for-11 (54.5%) from the charity stripe. The 905 had missed four 2-point free throws and one 1-point free throw. They had 12 free throw points, same as Wisconsin who were 7-for-9 (77.8%).
Positives from Rhoden and Gilyard
At the very start of the game, Rhoden played great D on Akinjo. In the final 5:36, he played as good, if not better, on players taller than him. With seven seconds left on the shot clock, he forced Ellenson into a baseline fadeaway jumper (as mentioned above). Then, he had another great defensive play where he got right into Badji, almost knocking the seven-footer over. He switched onto Stephen Thompson on the baseline, contested the shot well, and got questionably called for the foul.
Gilyard also deserves an honourable mention as one of three players to get a double-double this game. He had 12 points and 10 assists (Frank Kaminsky had 14 points and 10 boards; Akinjo, 20 points and 12 dimes). Late in the game, Gilyard showed his clutch ways — he ran a get action with Kaminsky, and hit a cold-for-Oshkosh-blooded middy to stop the momentum from entirely slipping into the Herd’s hands (or antlers). Though Akinjo got the bucket at the end of the possession, Gilyard showed some stalwart perimeter D from half-court (nobody came to tag or help).
In stark contrast to the fingeroll Stephen Thompson would score in similar fashion on the next Herd offensive possession, GIlyard’s perimeter D looked much better than A.J. Lawson’s on Thompson. Lawson finished with 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting.
It’s hard to expect consistency on an ever-changing G League squad, but the 905 look to get back to their winning ways as they’re currently one spot shy of making the playoffs. They play the Indiana Mad Ants next.
