NBLC Game of the Week: Classy Comeback Becomes A Fantastic Finish
The game of week for in the 2022 NBL Canada season was explosive and unpredictable as two teams in very similar situations put everything into ensuring that they would get the all-important win, producing plenty of highlights on the way.
Both the Windsor Express and home team Sudbury Five came into this meeting on losing streaks, two and three respectively. One team was guaranteed to turn their fortunes around on the night, the ensuing sparks that flew just going to show how much both teams wanted to get back to winning ways.
The teams traded baskets early on, with Sudbury's three-point shooting keeping them in front. New signing Quinnel Brown led Windsor in nudging themselves in front, while on the other end Evan Harris hit two from the stripe, making it a tie game after an eventful opening twelve minutes.
Windsor had eight points to begin Q2, followed by a Marcus Lewis layup and Billy White fouled on three-point play, making all three throws. Tanner Struckman followed on the same spot, giving the Express their first double-digit lead of the game. Sudbury's chances came up far less often than Windsor's trio of White, Brown and Struckman, who grew their team's lead as the first half came to a close.
The second half began with seven points unanswered from the Express and they now led by 21. Sudbury started to play them at their own game, drawing fouls to slowly but surely narrow the gap. Threes from Jason Calliste and Jeremy Harris knifing through the lane saw Sudbury eat more into their opponent's advantage; the team then hit ten unanswered to make it a one-point game late in the third.
White and Marcus Lewis tried to hold off the charge from Sudbury, but continued success from beyond the arc from Calliste returned the lead to the home team. Windsor went back in front with a 6-2 lead, only for Callise to level the scores with another three to begin the fourth quarter.
Billy White hit five in a row, followed by Brown and Marcus Anderson with threes as Windsor would not let their grasp on the game go without a fight. White and Anderson made repeated attempts to halt Sudbury building any momentum, but the lead returned to Sudbury after two layups in seven seconds by Jeremy Harris.
In the final two minutes, Evan Harris and Dexter Williams combined to put Sudbury up by three, Quinnel Brown responded by closing the gap to one from the stripe. Last-minute heroics from Jeremy Harris - two free-throws and a jump shot - left Windsor needing seven points in the last nineteen seconds of the game. Brown and Devonte' Pratt tried to save the Express' game from beyond the arc, but Sudbury handled the late pressure well, drawing fouls and converting the awarded shots to ensure victory at the end of this heated match-up.
It wasn't just the fantastic finish which made this a highlight game: the great production from so many different players was also impressive, with eleven of the nineteen players who took to the court finished in double-digits. Quinnel Brown impressed with 24 points off the bench while White led all scorers with 40 points to go with 10 total rebounds.
Playing better as a team and working together to pull off that incredible comeback are the reasons why Sudbury overcame their early setback and prevailed with the win. Jason Calliste once again proved his worth with 30 points while rookie Jeremy Harris had his NBLC career game so far with a team-high 32 points, the last of which crucial in helping Sudbury clinch the game at the end.
Hopefully these two teams can produce many more results like these as the 2022 NBLC season progresses. Check back here for more highlights and visit the league's official website for full details on all games.
