Stars Fall to Cruise to Close out East Coast Road Trip

SALT LAKE CITY (January 11, 2026) — The Salt Lake City Stars fell to the Motor City Cruise 108-102 in the first meeting between the franchises. The loss dropped the Stars to 4-4 on the season and closed out their East Coast road trip at 0-3.

Motor City opened the game with strong offensive play, jumping out to an early lead and closing the first quarter ahead 31-25. Salt Lake City responded by chipping away at the deficit and tied the game at 31-31 in the opening minute of the second quarter. The Cruise regained control, however, and took a 54-49 lead into halftime.

The Stars bounced back again in the third quarter, tying the game at 57-57 with 9:51 remaining, but Motor City answered and held off Salt Lake City down the stretch to secure the home victory.

All five Stars starters scored in double figures, led by Jazz two-way guard John Tonje and forward Cameron McGriff, who finished with 17 points apiece.

Jazz two-way big man Oscar Tshiebwe returned to action after time with the Jazz and recorded his 10th double-double of the season with 12 points and a game-high 21 rebounds (11 OR, 10 DR), marking his third game this season with 20 or more boards.

Motor City was led by Detroit Pistons assignment players Chaz Lanier and Bobi Klintman, who each scored 20 points.

The Stars return home to host the Austin Spurs in a doubleheader series, marking the first meetings between the two teams this season. The opener is set for Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. MT, followed by the second game Thursday, Jan. 15, at 6 p.m. MT at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. Both games will stream on Jazz+ and ESPN+. Tickets for both matchups can be found HERE and at SLCStars.com.