Skyhawks Drop Celtics In College Park

COLLEGE PARK, GA – The Maine Celtics fell behind quickly after giving up a 41-point first-quarter and were never quite able to recover, losing 118-101, marking their fourth loss in the last five games. 

Maine (8-5) was led by Luka Šamanić with 17 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. Marial Shayok scored 20 points on 7-13 shooting from the field. Kamar Baldwin put up 15 points, six rebounds and three assists off the bench. Two-Way player Mfiondu Kabengele had 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four blocks. Marvin Smith Jr. added 12 points and five rebounds. 

Atlanta Hawks assignment player Tyrese Martin dropped a game-high 31 points for College Park (9-4) to go with seven rebounds. Brandon Williams followed up Sunday’s 28-point performance with 27 points and three steals on a career-high seven made three-pointers. Armoni Brooks posted 14 points and six rebounds. Chris Silva notched 11 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four blocks for the double-double. Langston Galloway logged 11 points and seven rebounds. 

Šamanić spun baseline from the right block and finished through contact for the and-one to open the night. College Park got in front with a three from Galloway, and the Skyhawks never looked back from there. Maine’s offense was efficient to start, but the Skyhawks were dicing up the Celtics’ sixth-ranked defense in the G League with Martin making an early impact. Williams knocked down four triples in the opening frame, helping College Park spark a run each time the Celtics built a semblance of momentum. After one, the Skyhawks were already in full control, leading 41-27. 

College Park kept pouring it on in the second quarter, quickly stretching the lead beyond 20 points with a 14-0 scoring run through the first five minutes. Baldwin’s lob to Kabengele just north of seven minutes took the lid off the basket for Maine, giving them their first bucket since the 1:02 mark of the first quarter. The Celtics were able to cut it a bit closer at times as Šamanić neared a first-half double-double, but slow rotations and defensive lapses prevented them from getting consistent stops to make a run. The Skyhawks led, 74-49 at the break. 

Kabengele slammed it home to get the third underway, giving himself a 5-5 start from the field. College Park’s hovered around 25 for the first few minutes of the quarter before Maine went on an 8-2 run to get within 20, 83-65. The Celtics cut the deficit to 14 points mid-quarter, rallying within striking distance behind Baldwin’s driving and dishing that carved up the Skyhawks’ zone as Silva sat with four fouls. Williams and Martin were able to re-ignite College Park before the quarter ended though, stretching their lead back to 19 on Rhoden’s buzzer-beating floater, 102-83. 

Kendall Smith and Shayok each canned a three, and Shayok’s finish at the rim made it a 10-point contest in the fourth, 108-98, after the Skyhawks were ahead by 20-plus for most of the game. Martin got himself up to 31 points with a tough 11-footer, quelling Maine’s run in the process before Brooks made a big three to make it a 15-point game. After the Celtics got within 10, the Skyhawks ripped off a 10-0 run to put the game away. The Celtics outscored the Skyhawks in the second half, but the hole they’d dug themselves in the first half was too deep and they fell  

The Maine Celtics will return to the Portland Expo for a two-game weekend set with Raptors 905 on Dec. 9 and Dec. 11 before finishing off the Showcase Cup schedule against the Greensboro Swarm on Dec. 15.