BIRMINGHAM SQUADRON SOAR PAST COLLEGE PARK ON THE ROAD

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Birmingham Squadron, NBA G League affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans, defeated the College Park Skyhawks in dominant fashion, 132-108, in the first of two road games against the Atlanta Hawks' affiliate.

Coming off a career-high 25 points In Westchester, D.J. Carton provided an early spark for the Squadron (3-2) in his first start since Nov. 24 in Mexico City. His nine first-quarter points put Birmingham ahead by as many as 11, but a late 15-5 run by College Park (1-4) trimmed the Squadron lead to just one.

The second quarter remained tight until an 11-2 push gave Birmingham an eight-point lead with 1:47 to go. The Squadron the took a 59-54 advantage into the half, with Jaden Springer leading the way with 15 points.

Birmingham added another huge run to begin the third quarter, outscoring College Park 24-5 over 6:18 to claim an 89-67 lead. The visitors led by as many as 23 in the period and entered the final 12 minutes with a 99-78 lead.

With a 21-point cushion heading into the fourth quarter, the Squadron continued to stretch their lead. They led by as many as 28 with 9:53 remaining and cruised to a 132-108 win.

Jaden Springer led all scorers with a season-high 31 points on a season high-12 field goals made. He also recorded five rebounds, four assists, and two blocks.

D.J. Carton also set his season-high in points with 26 on 10-of-14 shooting. He also handed out six assists and grabbed three rebounds.

The Squadron will face Skyhawks in College Park for the second of a two-game stint on Thursday, Jan. 1. Game two in College Park will tip off at 6 p.m. CT and will be available on My68, ESPN+, and NBAGLeague.com.

For more information on the Birmingham Squadron, please visit BirminghamSquadron.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok.