Controlling the pace paid off for the Agua Caliente Clippers in topping the Sioux Falls Skyforce 114-108 Monday night at the Sanford Pentagon.

Neither team had a dominant stretch, but Skyforce Head Coach Nevada Smith notes some inconsistency in his team during the second half.

"Beginning of the third quarter I though that was as bad as we could play. We weren't connected, we weren't talking and everybody started feeling sorry for themselves. At the end of the third quarter, that was about as well as we can play. We just didn't carry it over."

In that third quarter, the Clippers (7-7) went on a 23-8 run to build a 12 point bulge. Sioux Falls (11-4) responded with a 21-6 run to take a three-point lead into the final quarter before the Clippers took the lead for good with just under five minutes left.

Despite the loss, forward Yante Maten says the Skyforce never quit.

"I think we had a fighting spirit throughout the whole game. Even at the bitter end we were still fighting and trying to make sure that we gave ourselves a chance."

Duncan Robinson had season highs in points (32), rebounds (7) and assists (6) while Maten nearly had a sixth straight game with 30 points or more finishing with 29 points and 12 rebounds.

The big man tandem of Johnathan Motley (33 points, 13 rebounds) and Angel Delgado (18 points, 15 rebounds) did the most damage for the Clippers.

The Skyforce have a pair of games out west this weekend starting with Santa Cruz on Friday. Agua Caliente heads home to face the Erie BayHawks on Thursday.

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