Armor backcourt hits for 46 points in win over Delaware

The Armor won their second straight for the first time this year --and third in their last six-- Saturday, beating the Delaware 87ers 115-112 with three players --Darius Johnson-Odom, Willie Reed and Larry Anderson-- are scoring 20 or more.  DJO, who's moving up the D-League's Prospect Watch, led the Armor with 25. In those six games, the ex-Laker has averaged 23.3 points. Sundiata Gaines, acquired Friday, has yet to join the Armor.

Saturday, DJO shot 6-of-17, but went to the line 13 times, making 12. He also contributed eight assists and two rebounds. Johnson-Odom, a 6'3" combo guard, is now ranked fourth on the Prospect Watch, meaning he could wind up getting called up.

Willie Reed and Larry Anderson, a 6'5" shooting guard out of Long Beach State, both finished with 21.  Anderson, who played in Belgium last season, has been remarkably consistent, whether starting or coming off the bench, scoring in double digits in 13 games.  Dennis Horner kept racking up double-doubles, with 13 and 11, his fourth straight. Adonis Thomas scored 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

For the second straight night, the Armor started hot in the opening frame, tallying a season-high 39 points over the first 12 minutes behind eight points from Johnson-Odom and Anderson. Delaware guard and Sixers assignee Lorenzo Brown scored 16 to lead the Sevens, but Springfield was able to take a double figure lead into the second for the second game in as many days.

Springfield continued to keep Delaware in a double-figure hole, stretching it lead to as many as 23 before ending the half with a 68-50 advantage. Johnson-Odom entered the locker room with 13 points, while Reed added 13 more of the bench on a perfect 5-of-5 effort from the field.

After an explosive first quarter, Brown was limited to just two points in the second, but still entered the break with a game-high 18 points. Springfield’s bench played a major role in its first-half scoring, holding a 19-5 edge over the Sevens.

Delaware rallied in the third, outscoring the Armor 33-24 to trim the Springfield lead to single digits at 92-83 entering the fourth. Matt Bouldin aided the Sevens’ attack, posting 11 points in the frame, going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc, while Brown scored 10 in the period. All 24 of Springfield’s third-quarter points came from the starters as the Armor bench played a combined 2:02.

With the lead down to nine, the Sevens continued to battle back from the 20-point deficit set in by Springfield in the first half. Delaware pulled within one down the game’s final stretch, but the Armor’s clutch free throw shooting helped Springfield hold on to the 115-112 victory as the Sevens’ last-ditch three-point attempt hit the back of the iron.

• Game Info: Armor at 87ers - D-League