NBLC Recap: January 20th
At the end of two contrasting NBL Canada games on Sunday, it was all change again in the Central Division.
Hitting from the field early and often, the Halifax Hurricanes took a commanding early lead over the Sudbury Five at the Scotiabank Centre. Jaylen Bland tried to lift Sudbury, putting up 28 points in the game, while Isaiah Johnson contributed 18, but did not make enough of their chances on offence and were subject to some hard defence from the home team.
Mike Poole led the Hurricanes with 25 points, whose bench put up 60 of their 122 total points against Sudbury's 93, snapping their losing streak, while Sudbury's extends to four straight.
Maurice Jones, Desmond Lee and Carl English off the bench combined to give the St. John's Edge a twenty-point first half lead, which the visiting London Lightning were able to cut down to eight at the half.
Junior Cadougan put up a game-high 27 points to maintain the Edge's lead, but London were on the fight back, led by Garrett Williamson and Jaylen Babb-Harrison, scoring 26 and 25 points each respectively. A final three from Babb-Harrison would tie the scores and send the game to overtime.
The teams would be separated in a tight extra period by a three from Marvin Phillips and Williamson converting from the free-throw line after drawing fouls. St. John's did everything they could to hold London back, but London showed grit and determination to see out the win, 119-113.
These results mean that London move ahead of Sudbury in the Central Division into fourth place. Sudbury, who started the season as division leaders, now sit bottom and out of the playoff berth zone.
