WILMINGTON, Del. — The Delaware Blue Coats bested the Grand Rapids Gold, 143–123, on Saturday at the Chase Fieldhouse. It marked a season-high scoring performance for the Coats, led by MarJon Beauchamp, who scored a G League career-high 40 points off the bench.
“MarJon’s a phenomenal player. He was super efficient tonight. He’s a shooter, he’s a defender, he’s a downhill attacker,” head coach JP Clark said. “So there’s a lot of things in his game that are high level, and he’s continuing to get better every day.”
Delaware also had all three of the Philadelphia 76ers two-way players available for the game. Beauchamp, Dalen Terry, and recent signee Tyrese Martin. Justin Edwards also made his first Blue Coats appearance since Jan. 10 after being assigned from Philadelphia.
Martin finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds, including 20 points in the second half. Terry added 20 points and five rebounds. Edwards scored 32 points and recorded a game-best five steals in his return to Wilmington.
“It was great to be an extension of the 76ers today,” Clark said. “I was proud of those guys, the two-ways and Justin for coming down and playing the right way.”
While the offense was the spectacle, the defense was nearly impeccable. The Coats recorded 14 steals and 11 blocks, with Drew Cisse accounting for six blocks by himself.
Cisse finished with just six points, but when combined with his eight rebounds, he was one of the most influential players on the floor. His performance was especially important as he was tasked with guarding Moses Brown, who is among the league leaders in double-doubles.
“I watched a lot of film yesterday, and I was just trying to apply what I learned,” Cisse said.
“The Stopper” is the nickname Clark says Cisse calls himself, though Cisse explained that the name came from his teammates and coaches.
“Anytime I get a block, I do my celebration,” Cisse said. “That’s me telling the bench that’s another stop.”
Since their four-game winning streak that began before the All-Star break, the Blue Coats have won six of their last eight games. Their recent success has not come solely from dominant offense or lockdown defense. It has come from a collective team effort.
“I was proud of the guys,” Clark said. “Playing together, sharing the ball, and defending, that was a big part of our group tonight.”
The Blue Coats now turn the page to March, the final month of the regular season. Sitting two games over .500, Delaware currently holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. Before the playoffs, the Coats will still face all four of the top teams in the conference.
Delaware will be back in action Sunday, March 1, against the Gold again at Chase Fieldhouse. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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