The Canton Charge (2-3), presented by SecureData 365 and powered by the Cleveland Cavaliers, held off the Erie BayHawks (3-2) for the 100-97 victory on Friday night. The win was the Charge's first within the friendly confines of the Canton Memorial Civic Center in the young season.
It was a back-and-forth first half that featured 15 lead changes and five ties, thanks to both teams capitalizing on high percentage opportunities in the restricted area. Canton hit 20-of-34 attempts from the field (59%) and scored 26 points in the paint, while Erie scored on 19-of-34 opportunities (56%) while netting 28 points in the paint. The Charge took a 47-46 lead into intermission.
Canton maintained their lead throughout the entire third period, by as many as 15, due to a continued offensive efficiency of 59% from the field as a team and attacking the basket for 14 free throw attempts with 10 makes. Down 76-61, Erie surged with a 10-2 run over the final 2:47 of the third quarter to pull within 78-71 heading into the final frame.
The visitors picked up their defensive intensity in the fourth quarter as they forced Canton into eight turnovers that resulting in nine BayHawks points. Erie's Drew Crawford led a valiant effort with nine fourth quarter points on 4-of-5 shooting, and Erie guard Seth Curry chipped in 10 points of his own, but it was not enough as Canton held on to their lead for the entire period's duration to seal the deal.
Charge forward Arinze Onuaku posted a double-double in his return with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting, 11 boards, and two blocks in 39 minutes. Brandon Paul also made his season debut, contributing 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting as a reserve for Coach Fernandez's bunch. William Buford provided a punch off the bench with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, seven rebounds, and two blocks in 27 minutes. As a team, Canton assisted on 23 of their 36 field goals in the game.
Erie was led by Crawford's 22 points on 10-of-15 shooting and six rebounds in 40 minutes. Seth Curry added 19 points, five rebounds, and six assists in 38 minutes. Daniel Coursey posted 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting with four steals in 25 minutes. The BayHawks forced 26 Charge turnovers that resulted in 29 points on the night.
