Duane Ticknor, a minor-league coaching veteran who led the Dakota Wizards to back-to-back playoff appearances from 2007 to ’09, will be the next head coach of the Mad Ants.The Mad Ants finished their four-day, two-game visit to the NBA Development League Showcase played in Reno, Nev., with a 111-92 loss to the Tulsa 66ers on Thursday.
Only by outscoring Tulsa 30-15 in the final period did the Ants (7-12) avoid their worst loss of the season, which was a 21-point, 114-93 setback in Canton, Ohio, on Jan. 6.
The trip wasn’t an entire loss, however. The Ants rallied from a 19-2 deficit to defeat Bakersfield 100-96 on Monday. It was the first Showcase win for a Fort Wayne team.
But the Ants never got close to winning two in a row in Reno.
Tulsa (10-8) broke out to a 32-20 lead at the end of the first period and led 67-41 at the half. Going into the final period, the Ants trailed by 34 points, 96-62.
Point guard Walker Russell Jr. led the Ants with 19 points – his second 19-point performance in the Showcase. Ramon Harris had 12 points off the bench and Darnell Lazare added 11.
The Mad Ants were not only hobbled by poor shooting (34 of 75 for 45.3 percent), but they also committed 20 turnovers against 12 assists.
Tulsa, meanwhile, hit 54.1 percent (46 of 85).
The Ants return to Memorial Coliseum on Sunday to face Dakota at 5 p.m.
