NBLC Playoffs Recap: April 7th
Three game two match-ups of this year's playoffs took place on Sunday, and saw plenty of big numbers as teams continue their push for the finals.
After falling behind early on, the Sudbury Five took a double-digit lead just before half-time in game two at the Mile One Centre. With the superior short-range shooting, the St. John’s Edge slowly but surely went into the lead, then sat back as Sudbury's missed shots started piling up.
Despite 29 points from Jaylen Bland, 25 from Maurice Jones and a double-double (15 points, 11 rebounds) off the bench from Cory Dixon, Sudbury could not capture the victory. St. John’s had seven player score in double digits, with Desmond Lee and Shaquille Keith recording double-doubles, as they tie the series with a 102-92 win.
Led by the newly-crowned Rookie of the Year Frank Bartley, the Saint John Riptide led the Moncton Magic by eight points early on in game two. However, Moncton did not look back after taking the lead after a fifteen-point unanswered run in the second quarter.
Even with TJ Maston being one rebound shy of a double-double (19 points, 9 rebounds), Saint John found themselves at the mercy of Moncton's offence. The Magic bench put up a combined 42 points, while Trey Kell led all on the floor with 24 points in the 103-77 win, which took the Magic out to a 2-0 series lead.
The Cape Breton Highlanders fell behind early on in game two against the Halifax Hurricanes. Even with Bruce Massey putting in a 10-13 performance in his return to the team and Devin Sweetney leading with 20 points, the Hurricanes were rampant on offence and contested for every possession they could.
Jordan Washington was outstanding with 30 points off the bench, while Terry Thomas had 24 as the Hurricanes even the series with a 110-84 win over the Highlanders.
