High-Flying Mitchell Leads Ants To Win

FORT WAYNE, Ind. - The Fort Wayne Mad Ants continued their upward trend with a 102-86 victory against the Santa Cruz Warriors Thursday Night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.  The trio of Ron Howard, Orlando Johnson, and Tony Mitchell combined for 72 points to help the Ants to their third straight victory. 

The Mad Ants stormed out of the gates in the first quarter and took a quick 15-8, but that is when Santa Cruz's dynamic guard Stefhon Hannah took over the game.  Hannah blistered the Ants with 23 first quarter points, and his team took a 33-31 lead into the second quarter.  In the second quarter, Hannah was hampered by foul trouble, but his teammate Taylor Griffin kept the pressure on the Ants and helped expand the lead to nine going into the half, 58-49. 

After half time, however, it was a different story.  Whatever head coach Duane Ticknor said in the locker room seemed to work, because the Ants came out with far greater energy on the defensive end and made every possession difficult for the visitors.  The Ants held the Warriors to just 28 second half points, and Howard, Mitchell, and Johnson received tremendous contributions from Anthony Richardson and Brandon Wallace to help finish the game off and give the Ants a 16 point victory. 

The Warriors were led by Hannah's 23 points, Griffin's 16, and Travis Leslie's 13.

Beyond scoring 22 points, Tony Mitchell also led the team in rebounding with 16, and Brandon Wallace grabbed 12 rebounds in just 12 minutes of play. 

These same two teams will face off again this Saturday night at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne at 7:30 pm.