Skyhawks Clamp Down on Defense, Open 2026 with 107–83 Win Over Birmingham

The College Park Skyhawks (2–4) rang in 2026 with their most complete performance of the season, cruising past the Birmingham Squadron (3–3) for a 107–83 victory at Gateway Center Arena. The win marked the fewest points allowed by the Skyhawks this season, fueled by a disciplined defensive effort from start to finish.

Making his College Park debut, Atlanta Hawks two-way guard RayJ Dennis made an immediate impact, pouring in a game-high 26 points to go along with five assists, three rebounds, one steal and one block in 37 minutes. Dennis became just the fourth Skyhawk to record at least 25 points and five assists in his debut, joining N’Faly Dante, Kobe Bufkin and Tyrone Wallace.

Atlanta Hawks two-way forward Caleb Houstan continued his hot shooting from deep, knocking down four three-pointers for the ninth time this season. Houstan finished with 14 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes and entered the night ranked first in the league in both three-pointers made and three-point percentage during the regular season (25-for-45, .555).

Rookie Kobe Johnson once again filled up the stat sheet, posting 15 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals in his sixth start of the season. It marked Johnson’s third straight all-around performance, as he’s now averaging 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals over his last three games.

Defense set the tone early and never let up. College Park forced 26 Birmingham turnovers, converting them into 33 points, tied for the third-most turnovers forced in franchise history and the most points scored off turnovers since Jan. 4, 2024.

“We had a really disciplined defense tonight,” said Skyhawks head coach Steve Klei. “We were disciplined with our shifts and how we guarded the ball, and our point-of-attack defenders in Kobe, Nikola, and RayJ did a heck of a job protecting the paint and forcing them into tougher decisions.”

In a low-scoring first quarter, the Skyhawks jumped out to a 17–13 lead behind five early points from Dennis. Birmingham’s 13 first-quarter points marked the second-fewest points allowed in any quarter in College Park history.

College Park then blew the game open in the second quarter, opening the frame on a 26–7 run over the first seven minutes. The Skyhawks carried a commanding 56–33 lead into halftime, their largest halftime advantage of the season.

The defensive dominance continued into the break, as Birmingham’s 33 first-half points tied a franchise record for fewest points allowed in any half. The Squadron were held to 13-of-37 shooting from the field and just 3-of-19 from beyond the arc (.351 FG%, .158 3FG%).

The Skyhawks never took their foot off the gas in the second half, matching Birmingham basket for basket and winning the final two quarters by a 51–50 margin to seal the 107–83 victory.

Birmingham was led by New Orleans Pelicans two-way center Hunter Dickinson, who finished with a 22-point, 12-rebound double-double.

With momentum on their side, the Skyhawks will now head out on a three-game Midwest road trip, beginning with a matchup against the Wisconsin Herd on Jan. 5 at 7 p.m., followed by a two-game set against the Grand Rapids Gold on Jan. 8 and Jan. 10, with both games tipping off at 7 p.m.