Hill sparks Squadron

Aside from being a member of the first Birmingham Squadron team and a main focus of Alex Squadron’s terrific book, Life in the G, Malcolm Hill is one of those players who always seems to give the kind of performance that is needed on any given night.

Hill played in all 16 of the Squadron’s Showcase Cup contests and averaged 19.3 points while playing 34.8 minutes per game.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Entering tonight’s regular season contest, Hill had popped in 21.5 points per night, averaging 35.2 minutes of court time.

He’s not only a fan favorite, but a favorite of his coach.

“He is what Squadron basketball is all about,” Birmingham boss T.J. Saint said earlier in the week. “He is one of my favorite human beings. We talked to him this summer and he came back here to try and make one more push. He is one of the foundational pieces forever of the Birmingham Squadron, and I love him to death.”

Hill showed why he’s so easy to love on Thursday in Birmingham’s 134-125 victory over the Iowa Wolves at Legacy Arena.

Hill turned in a next-level performance for the New Orleans Pelicans’ G League affiliate, recording an all-time team record 44 points and grabbing 13 rebounds for a double-double. It came just three days after he scored 30 in a win over Raptors 905.

“It was a great win,” said Hill, whose team improves to 4-5. “It was good to start a little bit of a win streak, and it’s always good to protect the home court. The coaching staff did a great job preparing us and (Iowa) played a great game.”

Hill had offensive help from E.J. Liddell, who scored 24 points, and Jalen Crutcher, who added 20.

Izaiah Brockington finished with 17 points and Trey Jemison had a game-high 15 rebounds.

Tyrese Martin came off the bench to lead Iowa (2-7) with 29 points, followed by Leonard Miller (28), Josh Minott (19), D.J. Carlton (17), Lance Stephensen (14) and Javonte Cooke (11).

“I thought Martin and Cooke hit some really good, contested threes,” Saint said. “They were timely and kind of kept them in it. I didn’t think our defense was bad, they just hit contested shots.”

Hill was lights out in the first quarter, netting 17 points to help the Squadron take a 38-31 lead. Liddell added 10 Birmingham points while no Iowa player had more than seven through the first 12 minutes.

The Minnesota Timberwolves farm hands stormed back in the second stanza, however, with Miller and Minott combining for 25 points, Carlton pumping in 11 and Martin logging 10 more.

Hill and Liddell continued to set a torrid pace for the Squadron, and at halftime Hill had accounted for 28 points, Liddell was good for 18, and Birmingham was on top, 75-67 – a Squadron record for most points in an opening half.

Both teams shot the ball well in the third frame, playing each other even. Hill made his 30th point 1:12 into the period and heading into the fourth quarter the home team’s lead stood at eight, 105-97.

The eventual winners never pulled away completely over the final 12 minutes but they were able to keep the Wolves at bay to secure their second consecutive victory.

“This was a big-time win, especially against a team that played a really good basketball game,” Hill said. “It was a point of emphasis for us tonight to finish the job, finish the possession … early in the season we had a problem securing the rebound on second chance points and points in the paint, so it felt good to make a contribution there.”

Just over a fourth of the way through the regular season, Saint thinks his team might be ready to make a push.

“We’ve got to make up a little ground, but these guys keep exhibiting champion-like essence,” Saint said. “If we can just get healthy, get the right pieces when (two-way player Dereon Seabron) comes back and Landers Nolley is back in the fold, then we’ve got a chance.

“We talked about over the summer bringing in championship-type people, and you can tell this is a real team who cares a lot about each other. They’re a lot of fun to coach.”

Thanks for the memories: Kira Lewis Jr.’s MLK Day appearance for the Squadron was his last.

The Pelicans announced on Wednesday they had traded the former Alabama star and a 2024 draft pick to the Indiana Pacers for cash considerations.

Lewis Jr. averaged 5.4 points per game for New Orleans over four seasons.

In three appearances for Birmingham, he averaged 22.3 points and his two free throws in the waning moments proved to be the difference in the Squadron’s 108-105 victory over Raptors 905 on Monday.

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Vulcans beat the Nashville Vols, 76-53, in a Southern Professional Basketball League game played at the National Guard Armory.

Horace Peterson led the charge, with Steve Kontos finishing with 15 points and Shag Hawkins and Wheeler Leeth finishing with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

OTD in 1949: The Birmingham Steelers of the SPBL lost to the Laurel Oilers, 73-65, in front of 1,500 fans in Laurel, Mississippi.

Johnny Murphy paced the Steelers, scoring 21 points, while Bob Murphy added 15 more.

Up next: Birmingham closes out its home stand on Saturday when the Cleveland Charge, G League affiliate of the Cleveland Cavaliers, comes to Legacy Arena for a 7 p.m. tip.

It’ll mark the first-ever meeting between the Squadron and Charge.

Squadron holds off 905

Malcolm Hill (33) scored 30 points and Trey Jemison (55) recorded his seventh consecutive double-double in Birmingham’s victory over Raptors 905 Monday.

The Birmingham Squadron closed out its MLK Celebration Weekend with a performance worth celebrating.

Malcolm Hill scored a game-high 30 points and Kira Lewis Jr. and E.J. Liddell – assigned to Birmingham from the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday morning – provided plenty of help as T.J. Saint’s club nipped Raptors 905, 108-105, before 1,115 fans at Legacy Arena.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Lewis Jr.’s two free throws with 4.2 seconds remaining iced the G League matinee game for the hosts, who improve to 3-5 overall.

Raptors 905 out of Mississauga, Ontario, slip to 3-6.

“Credit to Toronto,” Saint said after the game. “(Eric Khoury) is a friend of mine and does a great job, but I give a lot of credit to our guys. It was a  crazy game, and it got a little too tight at the end because we had some self-inflicted wounds, but what I really like is our defense is getting better.”
Lewis Jr. finished with19 points and dished out nine assists, and Liddell and Trey Jemison each had 16 points to go with 11 rebounds. For Jemison, it was his seventh consecutive double-double and 11th in the last 13 games.

Izaiah Brockington accounted for 11 Birmingham points.

Kevin Obanor led 905 with 21 points, Markquis Nowell notched the double-double with 20 points and 11 boards, and Justise Winslow scored 19.

Mouhamadou Gueye and Javon Freeman-Liberty closed out double figure scorers for the visitors with 16 points apiece.

With Birmingham leading 91-89 with 8:03 to go, the eventual winners stepped up the defensive intensity and outscored the Toronto Raptors affiliate 12-2 over the next four minutes.

Ultimately, that provided them with just enough of a cushion once things got hairy down the stretch.

“We switched to a coverage we call Drop 15 where we put Trey back in the paint instead of up on the pick-and-roll, and then we relied his development on defense which has just been great to protect the rim,” Saint said.

As for Hill, it was another good day at the office.

“I’m experienced, but I also think games like this are due to the work I put in,” said Hill, who was on the original Squadron roster in 2021-22. “But my teammates uplift me. Last game I played terrible, but the coaches and other players were still encouraging me to play well. Things worked out well today.”

Liddell wasted no time making an impact, scoring 10 points over seven minutes in the first quarter to help Birmingham grab a 30-25 lead. Hill – setting the tome for his big day – scored nine.

Hill continued his hot shooting in the second frame, ending the first half with 20 points. Although turnovers allowed 905 to briefly take the lead and keep things close, the Squadron went into halftime on top, 57-53.

There was little separation between the teams in the third, with Nowell, Freeman-Liberty and Obanor doing much of the scoring work for the guests.

But Birmingham kept the Canadians at arm’s length, and entered the final 12 minutes with an 84-79 edge.

Despite a frenzied fourth, the home team hung on.

“Pressure builds diamonds,” Hill said. “I feel like a game like this, when it’s really tight, brings out not only the best in me, but the best in us as a team.”

OTD in 1948: The Birmingham Vulcans of the Southern Professional Basketball League lost to Montgomery Rebels, 66-59, in front of 800 fans at the National Guard Armory.

Ther game was billed as a replay of a protested game from December 19, and the result gave Montgomery a league-leading 22-2 mark while Birmingham slipped to 12-13.

Frank Wheeling was the high scorer for Birmingham with 19 points while Kenny Spiker paced the winners with 25 points.

OTD in 1949: The Birmingham Steelers of the SPBL beat the Laurel Oilers, 85-84, with 1,500 fans looking on at Municipal Auditorium.

Bob Murphy hit a free throw with nine seconds left in regulation to lift Birmingham to victory.

Joe Parker led the winners and all scorers with 27 points, while Murphy pumped in 19 – his last charity toss the biggest.

Next up: Birmingham hosts the Iowa Wolves on Thursday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.

It’s College Night, and fans are encouraged to dress repping their favorite school. The first 1,000 fans will receive a Squadron flag and halftime will feature a seven-minute basketball game with members of the Unless U Unicorns.

Turnovers doom Squadron

Birmingham’s first quarter lead evaporated in a 14-point loss to Raptors 905 Saturday at Legacy Arena. (photo courtesy of RODTEE Media)

After racing out to a 15-point lead in the first quarter, the Birmingham Squadron appeared to be in good position to extend its winning streak to two games.

But basketball games are never won in the first quarter, and it was the last three that helped put the New Orleans Pelicans developmental club back in the loss column.

Scott Adamson writes stuff. Follow him on Threads @sladamson1960 and Adamsonmedia on Facebook.

Raptors 905 (3-5), G league farmhands of the Toronto Raptors, heated up from the floor from the second quarter on and took advantage of Birmingham (2-5) turnovers in a 112-98 victory on Saturday in front of 1,616 fans at Legacy Arena.

“Turnovers,” Squadron coach T.J. Saint said, shaking his head. “They scored 112 points on 102 or 103 possessions. If we have normal turnovers, our defensive effort and rating would’ve been better than Memphis (a 122-111 victory on Thursday) but turnovers killed us. They’re demoralizing.”

While Birmingham’s 24 turnovers were actually one less than 905, they came at the worst possible times.

“Trying to pick up human morale when you’re dealing with turnovers is a trick I’ve got to figure out as a coach,” Saint said. “But the good thing is that it’s very correctible, it is on us, and we will be ready (Monday).”

Trey Jemison recorded his sixth consecutive double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds), and Malcolm Hill led the home team with 19 points. Others scoring double figures for the Squadron were Jalen Crutcher (17), Izaiah Brockington (16), Tevian Jones (12) and Devin Cannady (11).

Raptors 905 shot a sizzling 51 percent from the floor and netted 12 more field goals than Birmingham.

Omari led six double-digit men with 22 points, followed by Jaysean Paige (20), Kevin Obanor (16), Mauhamadou Gueye (14), Drake Jeffries (13) and Markquis Nowell (11).

Gueye had 13 rebounds and Nowell added 11 assists to give each player double-doubles.

Birmingham controlled the first quarter, leading by as many as 15 points before settling for a 33-22 edge after 12 minutes.

Brockington and Jones had already accounted for eight points each, although Brockington was saddled with three personal fouls.

The team repping Mississauga, Ontario, however, stormed back in the second quarter, wiping out the deficit and taking the lead (44-42) at the 5:10 mark. Their cushion inflated to five before the Squadron launched a mini-rally and tied it up at 52-all with 1:47 to go before halftime.

But 905 got those points back – and more – and with 24 minutes in the books, held a 61-54 advantage.

The visitors threatened to end all doubt about this one early in the third quarter, scoring the first 14 points of the frame to secure a 75-54 lead.

Brockington’s 3-pointer finally ended the drought, but Eric Khoury’s team rarely cooled down, and led 91-73 going into the fourth.

From there, 905 put the game in maintenance mode.

Specialty unis: The Squadron wore theme uniforms for Saturday’s game, the first time in 2023-24 the team has dressed out in alternate colors. As part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Weekend, the Squadron paid tribute to the Birmingham Black Barons by wearing black unis that featured the legendary Negro League club’s BBB logo on the jersey, and an outline of the Magic City skyline across the shorts.

The team will wear the same uniforms again for Monday morning’s MLK Day game.

OTD in 1949: The Birmingham Steelers of the Southern Professional Basketball League beat the New Orleans Sports, 119-75.

The win at Municipal Auditorium, which improved Birmingham to 14-8, was also record-setting as the 119 points by the victors was an all-time high in a SPBL game.

Bob Murphy led the onslaught with 28 points, followed by John Murphy (27), Darrell Lorance (26), Joe Parker (23), and Lloyd Spitzer (11).

OTD in 2023: The Squadron lost to Salt Lake City Stars, 132-110, at Legacy Arena.

Feron Hunt led Birmingham with 24 points, Javonte Smart scored 21, and Kelan Martin added 17.

Both Zyan Cheatham and James Kelly Sr. recorded double-doubles. Cheatham had 18 points and 10 boards, while Kelly tallied 13 points to go with 14 rebounds.

Up next: The MLK Celebration Weekend continues on Monday as the Squadron faces Raptors 905 again to close out a two-game set.

Game time is set for 11 a.m., and Red Panda will perform at halftime.