In the nightcap tipping off at 8:30 PM GMT, the EZ Fit Flyers overcame an early deficit to defeat the Lava Smoke Elite Stingerz 94-88, with a dominant fourth-quarter performance sealing the victory on opening night.
Flyers Soar Past Stingerz
After trailing 29-26 following the first quarter, the Flyers exploded in the final frame, outscoring the Stingerz 31-14 to pull away. Xavier Meade and TJ Williams each poured in 20 points to lead a balanced attack, while Kenya Achom added 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. The bench provided crucial support with 29 points, led by Marlon Charles‘ 11 points and game-high 13 rebounds.
For the Stingerz, Joshua Minner delivered an outstanding 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting with 11 rebounds, while Brycen Thomas added 26 points, going perfect from the free-throw line. However, their fourth-quarter collapse proved costly.
The Flyers’ 19 fast-break points compared to the Stingerz’s seven told the story of their transition dominance, though both teams struggled from three-point range—the Flyers shooting 35 percent and the Stingerz managing just 21 percent from beyond the arc.
In the evening’s first contest, T-Shawn Lewis‘ heroic 26-point, 12-rebound performance wasn’t enough as Ottos escaped with a 67-66 victory over DA Project in a heart-stopping finish.
Lewis played all 40 minutes and was perfect from the free-throw line (8-for-8), adding seven steals in the losing effort. However, DAP’s abysmal three-point shooting—5-of-29 for just 17 percent—proved their undoing despite keeping the game close throughout.
Nick Strawter led Ottos with 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists, knocking down 4-of-12 from three-point range. Christian Walker contributed 11 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, while Pindo Drammeh dominated the glass with 17 total rebounds, including 16 on the defensive end.
Ottos converted DAP’s 24 turnovers into 25 points, which proved to be the difference in the one-point thriller. The game featured constant lead changes, with Otto’ s biggest advantage reaching 15 points while DAP’s largest lead was just one.
