Lightning cruises to 46-point win in opener
Givens, Lathan combine for 49 points on 76-percent shooting
There were several new faces in the lineup for Friday night’s season opener but the Los Angeles Lightning never missed a beat in a 143-97 pummeling of the Nevada Pride in Las Vegas.
Phil Givens tossed in a game-high 25 points and Trayvon Lathan racked up 24 points, 13 rebounds (7 offensive) and six assists for the defending IBL pro basketball champions. Will Hall and Dajuan Tate scored 24 apiece for the Pride.
Givens, a hard-driving left-handed guard, made 10-of-12 from the field while the 6-8 Lathan converted 9-13. They combined to hit 76 percent (19-25) on a night when L.A. outshot the home team 55.8 to 37.9 percent.
“We haven’t really played together at all, so I’m pretty happy,” said Givens, who set a Lightning record with a 57-point effort in 2008. “The younger guys got out there and ran. Once we clicked, we didn’t stop.
“Everyone was playing unselfish and when you do that, the result is usually positive.”
The Lightning had 29 assists on 51 baskets, led by newcomer Keith Simpson (8), veteran Fred Vinson (6) and Lathan (6).
Chris Ayer, a 6-11 forward, hit 8-14 on his way to 17 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Travis Pinick, a 6-7 forward from Yale who was also making his Lightning debut, had a double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) and was a perfect 7-7 from the floor.
Simpson knocked down all eight of his free throws and finished with 13 points, seven assists and five rebounds.
The Lightning broke open a 36-33 game by outscoring Nevada 75-36 in the middle two quarters. L.A. took a 111-69 lead into the final period.
Lathan had 11 points in the first quarter while Ayer (14) and Pinick (10) combined for 24 in third stanza when Los Angeles blitzed the Pride 48-23.
“I’m happy with our performance, the young guys really stepped up,” said L.A. coach Ron Quarterman. “I felt like they were a strong group and they came out and showed it.
“Chris is very much improved and Trayvon is Trayvon. It was a great team effort.”
Tony Roberts added 14 points while Vinson and David Reichel had 10 apiece for the Lightning.
The same two teams will meet again on Saturday afternoon.
The Lightning makes its home debut on Saturday at Cal Lutheran against the Oregon Waves in a rematch of last year’s IBL Championship Series. On Sunday, May 16, those teams will battle at Santa Barbara City College in a live TV game (KKFX/FOX 11) at 3 p.m.
