NBLC Season 10 Opening Day Review

Almost two years had passed since the last NBL Canada game, but after a long drought and periods of uncertainty as to when it would be back, play finally got back underway on February 21st 2022 with excitement mounting as the seconds ticked down to the opening tip-off.

All four teams competing in the tenth NBLC season were on show in all of their returns to court, with London Lightning being hosted by the KW Titans and the Windsor Express making the small trip to the Sudbury Community Arena, where they faced the Sudbury Five.

Windsor got the first points on the board, courtesy of newcomer Lance Tejada, but Sudbury were quick to respond, leading to six three-pointers in a row between the teams, at the end of which the scores were tied late in the opening period.

After eight points in a row by Zena Edosomwan, followed by another streak of seven by Jeremy Harris, Sudbury had a double-digit lead. Their advantage grew by the second half as the game became scrappy, with Windsor searching for a way back into the game. Many times they closed the gap only for Sudbury to extend it from beyond the arc soon after.

Tejada and reigning MVP Billy White tried to led the Express in a final push down the stretch, but Sudbury's continued success from deep - they finished with sixteen three-pointers - they could not make up the difference in time. Sudbury begin the new season with a win, 113-108, in which four of their starters finished with twenty points, led by Harris with 26 along with 14 rebounds. With White and Tejada both finishing with twenty-point double-doubles, there's hope for Windsor going forward after the opening day loss.

While close at times, in the end it was all too convincing a win for the Sudbury Five. Over in Kitchener, however, the teams were involved in a much more heated and unpredictable match-up. The Titans came out firing, with Joel Kindred and Eric Ferguson leading a rampant attack on the London basket, ending the first quarter leading by eleven points. That momentum did not last, however, with the Lightning striking back from the field to go one point up by half-time.

When play resumed London built an eight-point lead, the Titans responded with eight points in a row to make it a one-point game. The teams exchanged baskets for the remainder of the period but by the end of the third KW put up nine points unanswered to regain their lead. London responded with a 13-2 run, putting themselves back in front midway through the final quarter.

A point stood between the teams for much of the last two minutes, with London on top, and the game still hanging in the balance. London looked to seal the win, going up by four with nine seconds on the clock, but the Titans were not yet done and a subsequent three from Kindred made it a one-point game yet again. Jaylon Tate added to the Lightning score line from the line and a last-second attempt to save the game fell short for KW.

It was close, but the Lightning were able to hang on and break the hearts of KW in their long-awaited return. Ten players finished in double-digits at the game's conclusion, with Cameron Forte leading all with 26 points and 17 rebounds, one of three London players to put in a twenty-point performance.

The wait may have been long, but the impressive performances across the board between Sudbury and Windsor and the nail-biting conclusion to the game featuring London and the Titans was worth it and was a clear indicator there's very likely much more similar sights of first-rate basketball still to come.