PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Red Claws, presented by Unum, got 41 points from Carsen Edwards and a game-winning buzzer-beater from Tremont Waters to lift Maine to a 119-117 win over Greensboro Saturday night at the Portland Expo.
Maine (21-8) was led by Edwards, on assignment from the Boston Celtics, who finished with 41 on 14-28 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Waters finished with 16 points including the most crucial bucket of the game. Sheldon Jeter added 18 points off the bench, Kaiser Gates scored 13, and Jaysean Paige added 12 in the win.
Greensboro (7-24) was led by Charlotte Hornets assignee Caleb Martin, who finished with 29 points. Thomas Welsh added 17 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
Yante Maten injured his ankle in the opening minutes. The Swarm started the game on a roll, making 9 of their first 12 shots. Edwards made a pair of mid-range jumpers, while Waters made his first three shots, including a three-pointer. Still, because of the hot start, Greensboro led 24-16. John Bohannon, filling in for Maten, had a strong start, scoring 7 points. Sheldon Jeter’s three brought Maine all the way back, tying the game at 28, but Greensboro took a 33-28 lead after 1.
The Red Claws roared right back in the 2nd quarter, with Edwards heating up. Carsen’s three-pointer gave Maine a 43-42 lead. Bohannon got into foul trouble, picking up his 4th mid-way through the period. Greensboro’s second and third chances led to points, with Thomas Welsh cleaning up the offensive glass. Still, the Red Claws led 51-49. At the break, Maine and Greensboro were tied at 53.
Edwards started the 3rd on a tear, dropping in a pair of threes. The Red Claws extended the lead to 71-63. Maine led by as many as 12 after Kaiser Gates’ four-point play. Greensboro came roaring back, with Caleb Martin leading the charge. The Swarm cut the deficit to just 1 point, but Paige scored 5 straight points late in the quarter, and Maine took an 88-85 lead after 3.
In the 4th, Edwards caught absolute fire, scoring the first 12 points of the quarter for Maine. Martin and the Swarm hung around, with a Jalen McDaniels three-point play cutting it to 105-101. The Red Claws and Swarm traded shot for shot down the stretch, with McDaniels tying the game at 117. Waters hit a contested jumped with :0.2 left to win it in dramatic fashion.
Maine shot 50% (41-82) from the floor, 44.4% (20-45) from three-point range, and 10-14 from the free throw line. Greensboro shot 47.8% (43-90) from the field, 45.5% (15-33) from beyond the arc and 8-12 from the charity stripe.