May 26, 2015

YANGZHONG, China - The Bloomington Flex upped their record to 5-2 on their tour of China with a convincing 87-70 win over the Cuban National Team at Yangzhong Olympic Sports Center. 

With the Chinese Olympic Field Hockey Team in attendance, the Flex zoomed out to a 15-point 20-5 first-quarter lead on a Justin Bocot fallaway jumper with 4:20 to play in the period. But the Cubans responded with a 15-2 run to cut the Flex lead to 22-17 at the end of the first. 

Cuba got to within three just a few seconds into the start of the second quarter, but a C. J. Hampton three-pointer sparked a consistency in the offense for the rest of the game. Bloomington ended the first half up 43-32. 

The Flex continued the pressure in the second half, opening up a 19-point lead on a Nate Fuqua fast break layup. The Cubans cut the lead to ten at 54-44 with 4:11 to play in the third before Bryant Austin scored five consecutive points to push the lead back to 15. The third quarter would end with the Flex ahead 65-44. 

In the fourth, as the Flex battled to close out the Cubans, they had to battle the scorer's table as well, as on several occasions, with the Flex up 15 and threatening to blow the game open, the scoreboard operator credited baskets to the Cuban team that were not scored, and did not credit points scored by the Flex until team officials pointed out the irregularities. 

Before the chaos, Hampton scored seven consecutive points on two three-pointers and a free throw. Every field goal for the Flex the rest of the period was either a dunk or layup, as they ran the Cubans out of gas down the stretch. 

Bocot led the Flex with 19 points, Harry Marshall scored 13, Austin and Matt Salley each had 11 and Hampton had ten. 

The Flex next head to Lu Gao, where they'll have a rematch with the Belgrade Stars, who beat the Flex 62-61 on May 16. 

PHOTO: Justin Bocot looks to make a move out of the corner against the Cuban National Team Tuesday in Yangzhong.