Conor McCaffrey found his shot, and Springfield fin themselves back in control of their first-round playoff series against Phoenix.
McCaffrey, Paul Hammond and others on Chandler Dawes' supporting cast made Phoenix pay for their defensive strategy in a 99-86 victory in Game 3.
McCaffrey, outside of his 10 point second quarter in Game 2, was 3-for-20 in the first two games of the series, made 12 of 21 shots -- most of them from long range -- for a career playoff high 29 points.
"Conor McCaffrey's been important to us all year," Springfield coach Will Jenkins said. "'When he scores, we're really tough."
Phoenix's only lead was 2-0 as Springfield turned up the physical intensity to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
"It's very frustrating to lose the game period, let alone the advantage we had," Phoenix Stephon Thompson said. "But we've been in this situation, so it's back to drawing board. We've been giving those guys a steady diet. We have to come up with something different."
McCaffrey came out shooting, slump or no slump. "I took the same shots the first two games, it's just today it went in," he said. "I found a good groove. When you make your first couple shots, you feel pretty good."
Hammond added 20 points despite foul trouble, Ben Chambers scored 15 and Jake Pollen 12.
"We said we wanted to make those other guys beat us, Thompson said, "and they sure did tonight."
Chandler Dawes scored just 11 points on 3-for-6 shooting, but grabbed 23 rebounds, two shy of his career playoff best, as Springfield dominated the boards 51-35.
"If we can win like that, it's great. I've got no problem with it," Dawes said. "I said from the beginning that they're going to try and take me out of the series. My shots aren't going to come easy. Those guys did a great job of shooting the ball tonight, attacking the basket."
Charlie Dawes, who missed Game 2 with partially torn cartilage in his left knee, started and had eight points and eight rebounds in 27 minutes.
Thompson scored 25 points, Shawn Stevenson had 18 and newly named Rookie of the Year Damian Anderson added 17 for Phoenix, who shot just 38 percent.
Chandler Dawes only took four shots in the first half, and Springfield still led 53-36.
"Every time he touches the ball, they double-team and triple-team him," McCaffrey said. "It's so good to have a superstar who has so much confidence in his teammates."
Springfield outscored Phoenix 17-6 over the last 5:39 on the half. Hammond sank a pair of 3-pointers during the run before going to the bench with three fouls. His replacement, Pollen, also made a pair of 3's.
Phoenix coach Frank Jackson said before the game that if Springfield was hitting shots from the outside, his team would be in trouble. But even with the double-teams on Dawes, he felt Phoenix could have done a better job of defending the perimeter.
"McCaffrey made his, Hammond made his and Pollen made some," Johnson said. "We're leaving them too wide open. We can't have breakdowns like we had tonight."
Phoenix scored the first eight points of the second half, five by Stevenson, to cut the lead to 53-44. Rebound baskets by Charlie and Jamison Jones III boosted the lead to 57-44, and Springfield led 69-56 entering the fourth.
Phoenix briefly cut the led to 10 before another Springfield outburst made it 79-58 on Hammond's basket with 8:12 to play.
Stevenson's breakaway stuff cut the lead to 94-84 with 2:15 to play, but Hammond's 3-pointer on Springfield's next possession ended any comeback hopes.
The Springfield starting guards -- McCaffrey and Hammond -- were a combined 12-of-18 from the field in the first half for 27 points.
Their Phoenix counterparts, Thompson and Hardaway, were 6-for-17 for 14 points. Phoenix's Josiah Johnson was 1-for-11 in the game.