Summer Title Taken in the North of the Border League
Legendary Visions Crenshaw won over Underrated to claim the summer title of the North of the Border Basketball League - the most prestigious, non-professional basketball league in Canada.
Undefeated in the regular season, LV Crenshaw made their way to the final after edging out Bel-Air in the semi-finals 80 points to 75. Meanwhile, Underrated had an easier time against Best-I-Am Fitness – four players finished in double-digit scoring as they booked their final spot 79-70.
A week later, the two teams would meet at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ontario, to decide who would be taking home the summer league trophy. This, as with all other games in the North of the Border league, was played in two halves rather than four quarters.
During the first phase of the game, Underrated were the better team from beyond the arc – the most effective three-point shooter being Mike Hamilton – but LVC’s superior play in the field and tougher defence gave them the edge in the first half of the game, at the end of which they led by four points.
In the second half, LVC’s close-range dominance continued, led by Rudi Williams, who would go on to finish as the team’s top scorer with 26 points while also grabbing 11 rebounds. With the rest of the team following suit – three more players finished with 16 points – they proved too much for Underrated to catch up to.
With the score 82-66 in their favour at end of forty minutes, the title would be Legendary Visions Crenshaw’s, with Williams’ performance in the championship game showing why he was deserving of the league’s MVP award.
Elsewhere, Sonics and Hamilton Fire faced off for the right to be named the league’s recreational division champions. Though they were evenly matched in the first half, with just a single point to separate them, in the second half the Sonics made their high-percentage play count.
Hameed Reza led all on the floor with 18 points for the Sonics in their 69-54 title victory – all the more impressive as they started the playoffs as the fifth-seeded team.
For more on the North of the Border League and the title games, head over to the league's official website.
