Hustle's winning streak snapped by Squadron

Southaven, Miss. – The Birmingham Squadron snapped the Memphis Hustle’s four-game winning streak, 104-96, Saturday at Landers Center.

Javonte Smart scored 31 points on 10-of-12 shooting to lead the Squadron, who shot 50 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from 3-point range. Zylan Cheatam recorded his third double-double of the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds as Birmingham ended its Showcase Cup schedule with a 6-10 record.

Dakota Mathias scored 21 points to pace the Hustle, while Kenneth Lofton Jr. tallied 20 points and seven rebounds.

Memphis, which trailed by as many as 18 points in the third quarter and 14 with 3:22 remaining, trimmed the deficit to 100-96 following a 3-pointer by Matthew Hurt with 22.5 seconds remaining, but Smart made two free throws on the ensuing possession to help the Squadron hold on.

The Hustle, coming off a 117-113 win over the division-leading Rio Grande Valley Vipers the previous night, shot 42.2 percent overall and 32.6 percent from beyond the arc in the final game of their three-game home stand. Memphis finished its Showcase Cup schedule with a 9-7 record.

Memphis will play two games at the NBA G League Winter Showcase, which will be played from Dec. 19-22 in Las Vegas. Following the Winter Showcase, the Hustle will begin their 32-game regular season slate, starting with a home back-to-back against the South Bay Lakers from Dec. 29-30 at Landers Center.

Single-game tickets for all regular season Hustle games are on sale now. Tickets start as low as $14 and are available for purchase at Ticketmaster.com/Memphis-Hustle-Tickets or by calling (901) 888-HOOP. Additionally, all-inclusive floor seats and tables are still available for purchase, and the Hustle are accepting $50 deposits for groups of 10-or-more.

For more information on the Memphis Hustle, visit memphishustle.com, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@MemphisHustle) or like Memphis Hustle on Facebook.