Raptors 905 lock up Austin Spurs for first consecutive win of the year

The Raptors 905 took down the Austin Spurs 122-85 behind a strong defensive effort Friday night at Paramount Fine Foods Centre.

The win marked the 905’s first consecutive win of the campaign, improving their regular-season record to 2-1 and 7-12 overall on the year.

Right from the jump, the 905 used their top-10 pace to run the Spurs out of the gym, finishing with the 20-6 advantage in fast break points. It was tough for Austin to adjust to the speed with which the Raptors played all game, as they have played at a much slower pace all year (23rd).

The Raptors ran out to a 34-21 lead after the first quarter and a 64-45 lead at halftime. A sloppy start to the third quarter from the 905 and a 17-9 run by Austin would cut the lead to 11, but the 905 would continue to defend well the rest of the way and close out the victory. The junior Dinos allowed their lowest point total (85) of the season, as 905 head coach Drew Jones was obviously pleased with the effort his team gave on the defensive end, especially against the Spurs who have the fourth best offensive rating.

“I thought we did a great job,” Jones said on his team’s defensive play.

“I thought that our urgency to get to the 3-point line was much, much different. We were really aware and just played with an elite focus on their catches. We talked about playing with an early stick hand to deter a lot of those shots, and we did that. So I was proud of our guys.”

Jared Rhoden led the way for the Raps, finishing with a game-high 21 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, and one steal. The 25-year-old started the game as the de-facto point guard for the home team, showcasing what he can do as a ball handler while making some pocket passes in the pick-and-roll. Rhoden rebounded, defended, and pushed the ball with pace all night, as he was the most all-around impressive guy on the floor.

Both Jamison Battle and Jonathan Mogbo were sent down as reinforcements from the senior team for this one, and it paid dividends.

The undrafted sharpshooter Battle didn’t miss a shot from deep, going 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The Ohio State alum finished with 11 points, five rebounds, one steal, and one block. The 23-year-old competed on defence as well, staying out of foul trouble and sliding his feet well.

“Battle was tasked with chasing their shooters quite a bit,” said Jones.

“I really challenged him to be better defensively, and he was.”

Mogbo wasn’t the most impactful offensively, having only practiced one day previously, finishing with six points. The rookie impacted the game in a multitude of ways, however, rebounding well (seven rebounds) and being a big part of why Mississauga’s team defended at a high level. The 23-year-old also spent some time guarding a former 905 and Raptors guard Malachi Flynn.

The former 29th overall pick by Toronto in the 2020 draft returned to his former stomping grounds after playing 11 games for the 905 and a whopping 175 for the big club. After not seeing action throughout the entire first quarter, Flynn would still lead Austin in scoring with 17 points, to go along with five rebounds and two steals. It took the 26-year-old a little bit to find his rhythm in his first game back from injury, but he was able to still get his shot off as the game progressed.

Raptors two-way, Ulrich Chomche, was also super impactful. The recently turned 19-year-old finished with 11 points, six rebounds, and a whopping six blocks off the bench for the 905. He contested everything at the rim as usual and even stepped out and hit his first career three.

The Canadian duo of A.J. Lawson and Eugene Omoruyi also did their things. The Toronto, Ontario, raised Omoruyi finished with 21 points, five assists, and four rebounds, playing his usual physical, smart, and efficient game.

The Toronto, Ontario native Lawson also played his usual brand of ball, using his speed and athleticism to get out in transition and finish at the rim. The 24-year-old put up 18 points, six rebounds, and three steals as he got downhill all night.

Other notable performances:

Raptors 905

Kennedy Chandler 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds.

Tylor Perry nine points, one assist, and 3-for-3 from distance.

Austin Spurs

Isaiah Miller 16 points, five steals, three rebounds, and three assists.

Kyle Rode 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Osayi Osifo 12 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, two blocks, and two assists.

Same time, same place, same teams for the 905 on Saturday at 7:30 pm ET as they’ll do it all over again at the Paramount Fine Foods Centre against Flynn and the Spurs.

The post Raptors 905 lock up Austin Spurs for first consecutive win of the year first appeared on Raptors Republic.