Williams scores 28 as Cruise roll past Charge

Brice Williams scored a game-high 28 points and the Motor City Cruise hit 22 3-pointers to defeat the Cleveland Charge 142-122 on Tuesday night at Public Auditorium in Cleveland in a season-opening Tip-Off Tournament game.

Williams made seven of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc for Motor City (1-0). John Ukomadu had 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Drake Allen finished with 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. Dawson Garcia also scored 20 points, and Chaz Lanier added 19 points on five 3-pointers. The Cruise's 22 made 3-pointers set a franchise record for a Tip-Off Tournament game.

Zack Austin scored 27 points and hit seven 3-pointers for the Charge (0-1) in the loss. In his professional debut, Rashaun Agee had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Jaxson Robinson contributed 18 points, and Sy Chatman scored 16 off the bench. Noam Yaacov dished out a game-high 12 assists.

Motor City took a 33-24 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, extending the advantage to 76-61 by halftime. The Cruise put the game away in a high-scoring third quarter, outscoring the Charge 41-34 to take a 117-95 lead into the final period. Motor City's largest lead was 28 points. The Charge played without guard Sean McNeil, who was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Up next: Both teams continue with Tip-Off Tournament action later this week. The Cruise host the Noblesville Boom at Wayne State Fieldhouse in Detroit on Friday at 6:30 p.m. ET. The Charge host the Sioux Falls Skyforce at Public Auditorium on Saturday at 5 p.m.

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