Canton Charge fight to the end in victory over Rio Grande Valley Vipers
It was a lucky seven in a row as the Canton Charge (26-17), powered by the Cleveland Cavaliers, powered over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (26-16) in close 120-116 contest as 3,459 vocal fans cheered them on at the Canton memorial Civic Center this past Sunday afternoon. It was Princess Day as little girls got to parade in their royal finery during one of the breaks.
It was all defense when with 1:44 left in the game and trailing 116-114 Canton held the Vipers scoreless by forcing five misses during a 6-0 run sealing the victory. This win was the first home victory ever against the Vipers having played them four times during the Canton franchise’s six seasons. This has Canton finishing 4-1 against the Southwest Division for the 2016-2017 season. The win also sets a season high for consecutive wins.
John Holland led the attack with 36 points on 11-of-12 from the foul line and 10-of-21 from the field in 42 minutes of court time. Quinn Cook in his second game after his 10 day stint with the NBA Dallas Mavericks scored 30 points on 11-of-21 shooting with nine assists and six boards in 40 minutes. Eric Moreland with 10 points, 15 rebounds and two steals hit his 22nd double-double of the season. Jonathan Holmes helped the cause with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 from the three point range before fouling out after 23 minutes of play. Cameron Jones came off the bench with 15 points on 6-of-11 shooting in 31 minutes.
The Vipers had three players on assignment from the Houston Rockets including Isaiah Taylor with 24 points and four assists in 44 minutes, Troy Williams with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting in 23 minutes off the bench and Chinanu Onuaku who had a double-double of his own with 19 points and 17 rebounds in 35 minutes.
In the current standings Canton has the second best record in the Eastern Division and sits in the top of the Wild Card seed a full game over Fort Wayne. In the Western Conference it is Grande Valley currently a half game over Sioux Falls for the top seed Wild Card position.
Canton hosts the Erie BayHawks (Orlando Magic) Tuesday, March 14th at 7:00 p.m. for College ID night, where any valid school ID gets you a $5 ticket! Groups of 20 or more can take part in unforgettable fan experiences such as halftime performances, anthem buddies, high five tunnel, benchwarmers, and more! For Charge Nation Memberships, game day promotions and up-to-date information, head to www.CantonCharge.com or call 866-444-1944.
The Canton Charge are part of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena organization and also owned by a group led by Cavaliers Majority Owner and Quicken Loans Founder and Chairman Dan Gilbert. The group also owns and operates the Cleveland Gladiators of the Arena Football League and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League, both of which play their games at Quicken Loans Arena in downtown Cleveland.