LOS ANGELES LIGHTNING RELEASE
By Dave Loveton, Director of Media Relations
dave@losangeleslightning.net
Friday, June 25, 2010
Game 16 – Edmonton Energy 144, Lightning 103

Cold-shooting Lightning routed at Edmonton
Lathan scores game-high 31 in 144-103 setback

Billy Knight

EDMONTON, Canada – Three new starters and an ice-cold shooting night were not the recipe for success on Friday night as the Los Angeles Lightning suffered a 144-103 IBL basketball loss to the Edmonton Energy.

The Energy (13-5) snapped the Lightning’s seven-game winning streak and dropped the defending IBL champions to 13-3. Trayvon Lathan had 31 points, six rebounds and five assists for L.A.

Lathan hit 12-of-21 from the field but the rest of the squad only shot 32.1 percent. Billy Knight scored 14 of his 22 points in the second half and Tarron Williams had 13 points and nine rebounds.



Edmonton outshot the Lightning 56.7 to 37.3 percent. Steve Sir hit 5-10 from downtown and led the Energy with 27 points. Will Funn added 23 points (on 10-13 shooting) and 12 assists while Rashaun Broadus tossed in 5-7 from 3-point land on his way to 19 points. Troy Gottselig had a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Energy outshot the visitors 57.7 to 33.3 percent in the first half when they built a 75-46 lead. For the game, the Lightning hit just1-17 from 3-point range and were outscored 39-3 from downtown. They got to the free-throw line 41 times but only made 26.

For the first time in their three-year history, the Lightning played without a single NBA player in their lineup. L.A. has six ex-NBA players but four are out with injuries and two had prior commitments.

Edmonton jumped ahead by 10 after one quarter, then used a 23-6 run to open the second, extending the lead to 60-33 with 6:34 to go in the half. “We had a pretty steady first quarter but they did whatever they wanted to in the second and third quarters,” said L.A. coach Ron Quarterman. “Our defense was nonexistent and we had only one guy who played like a pro and that was Trayvon.

“Now we know what to expect and I think out guys will come out and step up (on Saturday night).”

The same teams will meet on Saturday and Sunday in Edmonton with the tip time at 7 p.m. each night.