Westchester Knicks lose to Canton Charge 109-91, Anthony Carlo and Ian Sacks report

Frustration mounts for Westchester Knicks
By Ian Sacks

[WHITE PLAINS] March 24 – For the Westchester Knicks, losers of their last five games and 15 of their last 16, frustration and disappointment are two of the words that can sum up the franchise’s inaugural season. The latest defeat came at the hands of the Canton Charge, who prevailed 109-91 Tuesday night at the Westchester County Center.

This defeat marks the 10th time in the last 16 games that the Knicks (10-35) have lost by double digits.
“This losing thing that’s going on with us, it’s bad,” forward Darnell Jackson said. “A lot of guys don’t understand the defensive principles that we have to make. It’s a lot of things that I feel like we could have done better on as a team … We can’t correct it now; we have to do that during training camp.”
Jackson finished with a team-high 28 points and 10 rebounds for his third double-double in the last six contests.

He was joined in double figures by three teammates. Forward Thanasis Antetokoumpo also posted a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Center Ben Strong compiled 16 points, and guard Doron Lamb added 15 points.
The Knicks were playing short-handed as only eight players suited up. One player missing from the lineup was starting point guard Andre Barrett, who was sidelined with a left thumb injury.

Westchester raced out to an early lead, scoring the first eight points of the contest. Strong was hot in the opening minutes, scoring six of the team’s points during this stretch.

Canton countered with nine straight points and held a 26-20 edge at the end of the first quarter and led the rest of the game. The Charge extended its lead in the second quarter and led 52-39 at the halftime break.
“Once that [early] moment went away, I think we forgot about to a certain degree what we do, in terms of ball reversals [and] allowing the offense to generate some more electricity,” Knicks head coach Kevin Whitted said. “There were a number of things that impacted the run. For the most part, our shot selection did not help us because when you take jumpers consistently … it gives teams an opportunity to get out and run.”

While the Knicks scrapped to remain within striking distance and trailed by 13 entering the fourth quarter, the Charge put the game out of reach as it opened up a 20-point lead in the final period.

Canton featured five players who posted double figures. Forward James Singleton led all scorers with 29 points and 11 rebounds. He connected on 4-of-7 from 3-point land and also dished out five assists.

Forward Brandon Paul also reached the 20-point plateau, recording 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field. Forward Arinze Onuaku compiled a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Guard Chris Crawford and center Alex Kirk scored 13 and 12 points, respectively.

The Charge connected on 54.7 percent of their shots, while the Knicks hit 46.8 percent from the field. Westchester failed to drain a 3-pointer until Lamb knocked down a trifecta midway through the third quarter. For the game, the team finished 3-of-13 from long range. The Knicks did not fair much better inside, as they were outscored 60-48 in the paint and outrebounded 44-38.

Westchester will look to pick up its second road victory of the season, when it visits the Maine Red Claws March 27. The Knicks are scheduled to host the Grand Rapids Drive March 30 at the Westchester County Center at 7 p.m.

“You got to play a full 48 [minutes],”Antetokoumpo said. “If you don’t play 100 percent, you don’t get better.”