Great Falls Electric Hoops Team Marks Debut Against the Emerald City Jaguars With a Road Victory

Professional basketball returns to Great Falls! - EUGENE, Ore., March 15, 2024 For the first time since 2008 when the Continental Basketball Association’s Great Falls Explorers last played in Great Falls, Montana, tonight was the debut of the Great Falls Electric, a new entry into The Basketball League (TBL) for the 2024 season. The TBL began in 2018 and currently features 40 teams across four conferences (East, Midwest, Central, and West) with the West Conference consisting of teams from Washington, California, and Oregon. Great Falls is the only team from Montana set to begin play in early 2024 and will be the tenth team in the West Conference. The Electric (1-0), under former Great Falls Explorers Assistant Coach Johnny Clark, will make their first home debut on Saturday, March 23rd when they welcome the Seattle Super Hawks to Great Falls High School’s Swarthout Fieldhouse. The action starts at 7:00PM (MST). But first, the Electric will face two teams from Oregon (Emerald City Jaguars and the Salem Capitals) and one from Washington (Vancouver Volcanoes) this weekend (March 15-17) in their first road tests. The Electric’s first opponent is the Eugene, Oregon based Emerald City Jaguars (0-4), who are under head coach Thomas Bullock this season. The Jaguars, who play their home games at Lane Community College, have already played three games since March 1st. In their first game on March 1st, the Vancouver Volcanoes ruined the Jaguars debut by defeating them, 118-101 and then lost to the Seattle SuperHawks on March 8th, 138-109. On the final day of the weekend, the Wenatchee Bighorns downed the Jaguars, 124-108. The Great Falls Electric professional basketball team opened with a 122-89 road victory over the Emerald City (OR) Jaguars on Friday night inside the Titan Coliseum on the campus of Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon. This was the Electric’s first game in their inaugural season, and they did not disappoint -playing well on both sides of the ball. Almost two minutes was erased from the game clock before Great Falls scored their first points. Former Chouteau High and University of Providence (Great Falls, MT) shooting guard Isaac Howard connected on a three pointer from the left side to put the visiting team ahead, 3-1 early in the first quarter. Emerald City’s Bradon Suttles made one of two free throws for the first points of the game. Great Falls’ offense led 16-3 with 6:51 left in the first period thanks to a field goal by Lyle Hexom. Both teams would each score 16 points during the final seven minutes as the Montana TBL team lead 32-19 after the first twelve minutes of action. Lyle Hexom had accounted for nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Hexom’s teammate Isaac Howard, who scored the first points in the game, finished the period with eight points. The Electric started the second quarter on an 8-0 run thanks to points scored by four Electric players including Antwaan Cushingberry, Lyle Hexom, Lamine Komara, and Isaac Howard. The Jaguars broke their scoring drought by a basket by Brandon Suttles with 8:46 remaining and the home team trailing 40-21. Great Falls would end the period by outscoring Emerald City, 29-14 after the basket by Suttles. Great Falls led at the half, 69-35. Antwaan Cushingberry led all scorers with eight second quarter points for the Electric. Brandon Suttles, Jaylen Nixon, and Donte Scott each scored four points for the Oregon TBL team. Brandon Jamar (Great Falls) scored the first four points to open the second half as the Electric kept their 30-point advantage (73-36) during the first two minutes of the third. The Electric maintained their long- distance lead (96-63) through the first three quarters. Former Great Falls High athlete Brendan Howard and Lyle Hexom combined for 15 of the 27 points in the quarter. Kevin Fletcher of the Jaguars registered nine points. The fourth and final quarter saw both teams score 26 points, but the Electrrc’s offense shined in their first game. Lyle Hexom finished with 22 points on 9-15 shooting, 18 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3 steals for coach Johnny Clark’s squad. Brendan Howard and Brandon Jamar totaled 35 points. Four players ended the game in double figures for Emerald City including Donte Scott (16 points), Gamaun Boykin and Kevin Fletcher (15 points) and Marvin Worthy had 10. NOTE: Great Falls scored 122 points and picked up their first win in their first outing in The Basketball League (TBL). NEXT CONTEST: The Great Falls Electric will make the short one-hour drive to Salem, Oregon for their second road game of the season against the Salem Capitals live from The Salem Armory starting at 7:30PM (MST). Before they make their home debut on March 23 against the Seattle Super Hawks, the Electric will play the Vancouver Volcanoes in Vancouver, Washington on Sunday, March 17th with tipoff slated for 4:00PM (MST) from Clark College. Meanwhile, the Emerald City Jaguars will host their third home game on Saturday, March 16th when the Wenatchee (WA) Bighorns come to Eugene, Oregon for a single game.