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Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Mad Ants defeat Motor City behind Dennis and Furphy career night 

NORAL PARHAM
NORAL PARHAM
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.

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The Indiana Mad Ants notched their second consecutive win on Jan. 28, defeating the Motor City Cruise 107-99 in Detroit. 

The win was fueled by career-best performances from RayJ Dennis and Johnny Furphy, alongside a double-double effort from Enrique Freeman.   

For the second straight contest, Indiana’s defense held its opponent under 100 points, a key factor in their 9-5 record in the regular season.  

Dennis led the way with a career-high 32 points, while Furphy contributed a career-best 21 points. 

Early on, Jahlil Okafor set the tone, scoring the first points for the Mad Ants with a floater in the paint. Dakota Mathias followed with a mid-range jump shot. 

Furphy quickly found his rhythm, converting a layup off a Motor City mishap. He later completed an and-one play after absorbing contact, helping the Mad Ants maintain a 26-25 lead at the end of the first quarter. 

Kyle Mangas and Okafor got the Mad Ants cooking with grease in the second frame, upping the momentum for Indiana. However, Motor City responded with a 13-2 run to take a 44-41 advantage.  

Dennis quickly put an end to the aforementioned run with a timely three-pointer. Within the next few possessions, Dennis found Josiah-Jordan James for a corner triple, regaining the lead for Indiana. James knocked down another jumper from behind the arc before a 52-59 halftime. 

Okafor and Dennis kept the momentum going in the third frame, with Dennis converting a three-pointer to extend the lead to 57-53. 

Midway through the period, Freeman contributed a key bucket and Okafor capped off a fast break play with a one-handed dunk, pushing Indiana’s lead to 68-58.   

Dennis imposed his will, reaching 23 points by the end of the third frame. Indiana entered the final quarter with an 83-79 advantage.  

With 5:15 left in regulation, Dennis connected on another long ball, setting a new career-best with 28 points and giving the Mad Ants a 98-89 lead. 

Okafor followed with a floater, ending the night with 23 points. Furphy was fouled on a three-point attempt in the closing moments, hitting one of his free throws to shut the door on the Motor City Cruise.  

Indiana maintained a comfortable lead down the stretch, clinching the 107-99 victory.   

The Mad Ants take on the Wisconsin Herd at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3.


Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846. Follow him on TikTok @3Noral. For more sports, click here.

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