Former BayHawk Maureece Rice will make his Sioux Falls' debut against his former team Friday night at Tullio Arena.
Sioux Falls Skyforce (2-12) at Erie BayHawks (11-6)
Friday, 7 p.m., Tullio Arena.
▀ On the air: WFNN-AM 1330; www.nba.com/dleague/
Players to watch
▀ Erie — PF Ivan Johnson (Leads team in scoring at 17.1 points a game. Johnson is the only player on the team to start every game the BayHawks have played this season. … C Solomon Alabi (A rookie with the Toronto Raptors, Alabi is making his second trip to the D-League. In his first run with the BayHawks, Alabi averaged 8.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and three blocks in seven starts. … SG Blake Ahearn (Had a season-high 16 points in his third game with Erie after being reacquired by them. He averaged 25.7 points in 13 games with the BayHawks last season).
▀ Sioux Falls — PG Maureece Rice (Played for Erie in its expansion season in 2008-09. Rice averaged 18.7 points that season as a rookie. Erie waived him during training camp this season due to injury (back). With them retaining his rights, the BayHawks traded him Tuesday to the Skyforce for a 2011 second-round pick. … C Dexter Pittman (A rookie center with the Miami Heat, Pittman is making his second trip to the D-League. In his first run with the Skyforce, Pittman averaged 16.6 points and nine rebounds in eight starts. … SF Anthony Mason (The son of former NBA All-Star Anthony Mason, Mason, Jr. is averaging 15.1 points and eight rebounds).
Fast facts
▀ Erie — Won five of its last six games …. The BayHawks are 7-2 against teams with losing records, 4-4 against teams with winning records. … Erie has picked up 26 technical fouls this season … After Sunday’s game against Maine at home, Erie plays its next five games away from Tullio Arena. The BayHawks are 6-5 on the road.
▀ Sioux Falls — Acquired forward Kevin Lyde, 30, on Tuesday. Lyde is the sixth-leading rebounder (1,279) and third-leading shot blocker (289) in D-League history. Having played for four D-League teams, Lyde helped Dakota win the 2007 title. … Sioux Falls has lost seven straight games. … The Skyforce are averaging 19.9 turnovers.
▀ BayHawks up next: Maine (Sunday, 2 p.m.)
— Duane Rankin
