SUD vs LON Game 2 - Super League Playoffs Report
The Super League playoffs continue and an increasingly exciting series between the London Lightning and Sudbury Five heated up at the Sudbury Community Centre on Sunday night.
Game one had been close but London snatched it from the Sudbury Five by seven points, leaving them with an advantage as they arrived in the 705, while Sudbury were in a far more precarious position for game two.
London began with an 8-0 run until Ja'Myrin Jackson opened the scoring for Sudbury, who in the space of a minute went from down eight points to leading by one. Andrew Gordon put London back in front but Sudbury kept it tight and threatened at the end of twelve minutes, but Antonie Mason ensured they led at the first quarter buzzer.
Jackson put Sudbury in front at the top of Q2 and though they made it hard for the Lightning to make any momentum, London went back in front after six points unanswered. Five lead changes followed, the last of which Sudbury held on to for as long as they could until a three from Devon Baulkman and a layup by Nick Garth saw London finish the first half ahead 50-49.
Sudbury began the second half with a 9-0 run, which London responded to with nine unanswered of their own, going back in front again until AJ Mosby returned the narrow lead to Sudbury from the stripe. A three from Gordon soon put London back in front and they finished the third with a 10-2 run.
After a slow start to the fourth quarter, Jermaine Haley hit five in a row for London and Mason made their lead a double-digit one. Sudbury were able to find open looks but were matched by the Lightning on the other end of the floor.
Shots kept falling short for the Five until the last two minutes, where Jackson and Evan Harris closed the gap to one point. Maintaining their cool were Haley, Jachai Taylor and Jeremiah Mordi, who hit a three, a dunk and two from the line respectively to seal the win for London at the end of an unpredictable game two.
Jackson had a game-high 28 points for Sudbury, who also saw 27 by Mosby and 13 points and 15 rebounds from JD Miller in the loss. Devon Baulkman led London with a season-best 20 points while White also finished with a double-double, 14 points and 13 rebounds, as London move one step closer to the Finals with a 100-92 win over the Sudbury Five.
It's now all to play for in Game Three, which promises to see sparks fly between teams in this increasingly heated series. Check back here for further reports on this series and the Super League post season.
