Memphis Hustle earn road win, 114-109 over Birmingham Squadron

Birmingham, Ala. – The Memphis Hustle defeated the Birmingham Squadron, 114-109, on the road Thursday to earn their third win in their last four games and improve to 6-6 in the Showcase Cup.

Kenneth Lofton Jr. posted 24 points and nine rebounds to lead the Hustle while Kennedy Chandler added 23 points. Matt Hurt tallied 17 points off the bench, and Vince Williams Jr. scored 16 for the Hustle.

Kelan Martin (21 points), Zylan Cheatam (20 points) and James Kelly Sr. (20 points) comprised a trio of 20-point scorers for the Squadron, who fell to 5-9 after a fourth quarter rally that fell short in the final minute.

Birmingham used a 10-0 run to cut a double-digit Hustle lead to 109-107 with 48.9 seconds remaining in the game. After the teams traded baskets, Chandler split a pair of free throws, the second of which was rebounded by Lofton Jr., who made both of his free throws to provide the final score with 8.7 seconds left.

Memphis outscored Birmingham 19-8 in second chance points and 24-11 from the free throw line to help offset the Squadron’s 26-6 advantage in fast break points. The Hustle held a 13-2 edge in the second chance points after halftime

Lofton Jr. scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting in the second half to help the Hustle avenge a home loss to the Squadron from Nov. 21. The teams will meet for a third time on Dec. 17 at Landers Center.

The Hustle will finish a two-game road trip at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10, against the Texas Legends at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Tex.

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.