NBLC Playoffs Recap: April 14th
Sunday saw the end of the first round of the 2019 NBL Canada playoffs, with both of the remaining ties coming to an end.
The St. John’s Edge began the deciding game of their tie with nine unanswered points, but the Sudbury Five fought back and closed the gap to two by the end of the first quarter. The teams were then tied at half-time, but after falling behind by one when the game resumed, the Edge took an eight-point lead.
Sudbury’s top three scorers – Jaylen Bland (22 points), Maurice Jones (21 points) and Yohanny Dalembert (19 points and 11 rebounds) – tried to keep it a close game, but with tougher offence and superior team play, the Edge closed out the contest as winners, 101-92.
Murphy Burnatowski led all scorers with 25 points for St. John’s, while Glen Davis and Desmond Lee both recorded double-doubles, as the team move on to the Central Division finals.
After an uncertain start to the game, the KW Titans took a twelve-point lead over the home team, the London Lightning, in a game where the Lightning never seemed to get into gear.
With KW making thirteen three-pointers and seeing double-doubles from Flenard Whitfield (29 points and 10 rebounds) and Tramar Sutherland (23 points and 12 rebounds), they move past the first round of the playoffs for the first time with a shock defeat of the defending champions in five games. The final score here, 109-93.
