Fort Wayne Defeats Iowa in High-Scoring Affair

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Fort Wayne Mad Ants defeated the Iowa Wolves, 132-127, on Monday night at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum.

Fort Wayne (8-3) avenged an earlier 127-123 loss to Iowa (7-5) on Nov. 25 in Fort Wayne as the two games between two of the NBA G League’s top scoring teams were decided by just eight total points. The Mad Ants came into the game averaging a league-best 124.1 points per game while the Wolves’ offense was ninth at 115.9 points.

Luka Garza posted a monster game with a career-high 44 points to go with a season-high 15 rebounds. PJ Dozier also tallied a double-double with 20 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.

Gabe York powered Fort Wayne with 36 points while Deividas Sirvydis scored 26 points fueled by six three-pointers. As a team, the Mad Ants knocked down 20 threes to 16 by Iowa. Fort Wayne forced 25 turnovers by Iowa which led to 31 points.

The game featured 10 lead changes and 10 ties as Fort Wayne led by as much as 12 points while Iowa had a six-point lead at one point.

AJ Lawson, who scored 19 points in the loss, knocked down a three for the Wolves last lead at 123-120 with 2:29 left in the game. Fort Wayne quickly took the lead back with consecutive jumpers. However, Lawson answered with a driving basket that drew a block foul. The blocking call was challenged unsuccessfully by Fort Wayne, but Lawson missed the free throw that could have put Iowa up one.

York then drilled a three to give the Mad Ants the lead back. On Iowa’s next possession, Lawson’s three was off the mark and rebounded by Fort Wayne, which later turned the ball over giving the Wolves another chance. However, Matt Lewis’ three-point attempt missed, and David Stockton made a pair of free throws to push the lead to five. After a quick timeout, Garza scored his final points with just eight seconds left. But Iowa was forced to foul York on the inbounds and the league’s second-leading scorer sealed the win with two free throws.

After nearly three weeks away, Iowa finally returns to Wells Fargo Arena as Grand Rapids visits for a back-to-back on Dec. 9 and 10. Both games will start at 7 p.m. CT.