The Canton Charge (11-14) came into Bakersfield Friday night, scored 69 first half points, shot 59.5% from the field in the game, and placed seven players in double figure scoring. They beat the Jam (13-11) by a final score of 124-108 in the first meeting of the year between the two teams. They also shot 55.6% from 3-point range, and for good measure, they outrebounded them by a 47-31 count.
Led by 5’-9” point guard TJ Campbell, who finished with a game high 31 points, the Charge seemed to have Bakersfield back on their heels most of the evening. Campbell had 12 of his points in the first period as both teams battled and exchanged the lead nine times to end the first.
Bakersfield started the second quarter with a five point lead (36-31) but Canton went on an 8-0 run with 4:17 left in the first half. The Charge ended the first half with a 69-63 lead and never trailed for the remainder of the game. The 69 points was the most given up by the Jam in any half this season.
The Charge extended their lead to as many as 14 points in the third quarter, and the Jam fought back to cut the lead to just four (100-96) with 9:56 left in the game, but that was as close as they would get, as the Charge finished the game on a 12-0 run.
Osiris Eldridge led the Jam in scoring with 28 points (for the fourth straight game). Juan Pattillo recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 24, plus 13 rebounds, and Renaldo Major finished with 22. Eric Bledsoe recorded a double-double off the bench with 10 points and a game-high 10 assists.
All five starters for the Charge scored in double figures, as well as two others off the bench. Besides Campbell’s impact, Manny Harris had a double-double with 22 points, 10 rebounds, and dished out seven assists. Kyle Gibson scored 12, another double-double for Luke Harangody with 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Dante Milligan had a double-double as well, with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Jam play again next Thursday, February 2, and face the Erie Bayhawks for the first time this season at the Jam Events Center in Bakersfield.
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