DRIVE DEFEAT DELAWARE WITH SEVEN IN DOUBLE FIGURES

Jordan Crawford scored 19 points off the bench, Ray McCallum added 18 points with six rebounds and eight assists, and Darrun Hilliard also scored 18 points as the Drive (13-16) defeated the Delaware 87ers (15-13) on the road on Monday night.

The final was 116-105 as the Drive ended their nine-game stretch of games away from the DeltaPlex on a positive note.

No Grand Rapids player reached 20 points for just the second time this season, but the Drive saw seven players reach double figures. Along with Hilliard, two other assignees from the Detroit Pistons made an impact as Michael Gbinije had 13 points with the best plus-minus on the team (+19) and Henry Ellenson had 11 points and nine rebounds.

Shawn Long was dominant for the Sevens, scoring 31 points with 13 rebounds and five blocks. Dionte Christmas added 19 points and James Webb III had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

The Drive caught fire from deep after several games of struggling from behind the arc. They shot 53 percent on three-pointers (18-of-34), a new season record. Kevin Murphy and Ramon Harris each hit four three-pointers off the bench, giving the Drive a bench duo that went 8-of-11 from three. Crawford and Gbinije also hit three three-pointers each.

In contrast, the Sevens connected on just eight of their 33 attempts from three-point range.  Despite this, they hung around for the entire game, as the lead changed hands 24 times and the game was tied 13 times. It was not until the fourth quarter, where Grand Rapids scored 33 points and held Delaware to 21, that the Drive could put the Sevens away.

The Drive take on the Westchester Knicks at home on Feb. 1 for their next game, hoping to avenge Saturday night’s loss. The 87ers will travel to Maine for the first of two consecutive games against the Red Claws on Feb. 2.

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