The Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the Pacers' D-League affiliate had a successful road trip last week, winning two of three games. Fort Wayne is now 17-10 on the season, which puts them in second place in the Central Division. The Mad Ants own the third-best record in the D-League's Eastern Conference.
The road trip began on Wednesday with an impressive comeback win in Erie over the Bayhawks, Orlando's D-League affiliate. The hosts led by 13 heading into the fourth quarter and pushed their lead to 15 before the Mad Ants mounted a charge.
A pair of rookies and former Pacers training camp participants led the way. Former Kentucky forward Alex Poythress scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and former Indiana sharpshooter Nick Zeisloft hit three 3-pointers to springboard the comeback.
Fort Wayne still trailed by three entering the final minute, but Stephan Hicks hit a jumper with 54.4 seconds left that made it a one-point game. After an offensive foul on the Bayhawks, Trey McKinney-Jones knocked down the go-ahead jumper with 28.2 seconds left and the Mad Ants held on the rest of the way, coming away with a 114-111 win. All told, Fort Wayne outscored Erie 42-26 in the final frame.
Hicks led the way with 28 points and seven boards, while Poythress added 22 points and 12 rebounds. Zeisloft chipped in 15 points off the bench, going 5-for-9 from 3-point range.
On Friday, the Mad Ants picked up another road win, this time a 109-99 victory over the Windy City Bulls, Chicago's D-League affiliate. It was a balanced effort, as seven of the eight Mad Ants players who saw the floor scored in double figures.
McKinney-Jones and former UIndy guard Jordan Loyd each had a team-high 18 points. Hicks added 17, while Poythress recorded another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
The Mad Ants closed the week on Saturday night in Canton against the Charge, Cleveland's D-League affiliate. Fort Wayne hung tough, but the Charge ultimately prevailed, 124-115.
McKinney-Jones once again led the team in scoring, finishing with 29 points on 12-of-19 shooting. Julyan Stone, another Pacers training camp participant, added 19 points, four boards, and four assists.
As of Tuesday morning, the Mad Ants have a few players among the league leaders. Poythress is 18th in scoring (19.2 points per game), 19th in rebounding (7.6 per contest), and tied for ninth in blocks (1.6 per game). Stone is second in the D-League in assists (8.2 per game).
The Mad Ants returned to Fort Wayne this week and have a light schedule, with just one game on their slate over a nine-day span. They host the Bayhawks on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 11:00 AM ET for the organization's first-ever School Day Out game.
Stay tuned to Pacers.com for continued updates on the Mad Ants, and make sure to check out Pacers.com/MadAntsTV » to watch Mad Ants games free online.
