The Sudbury Five could not have asked for a much better start to the playoffs – the caveat being that said “start” is defined as the opening three minutes of game one of their NBLC (National Basketball League of Canada) semi-final series with the K-W Titans.
The remaining 45 minutes were a little more hit and miss.
Overcoming a 13-0 deficit as the Five bolted out of the gates Sunday at home, the Titans went on a torrid shooting pace from beyond the arc for the remainder of the opening half (K-W were 14/22 from three point land at the break) and then withstood a couple of second half challenges in grabbing a best of five series lead with a 122-116 victory on the road.
“They hit 20 threes and that may be the most any team has hit this season (on us),” noted Sudbury Five head coach/GM Elliot Etherington after the game. “Some were contested, but we’ve got to figure out a way to eliminate their open looks.”
A key contributor across the stat-line with 26 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five steals, Dexter Williams Jr shared that same focus in his assessment of the loss. “I think we have to limit some of the fast break threes,” stated the product of the University of Montana Western. “Trying to climb back into the game, those threes kind of affected us.”
“But as you could see, we were coming back in the end. We’ll figure it out.”
Trailing by 13 at the half (69-56), the Five managed to whittle the gap down to just five points with under three minutes to play before the tandem of Eric Ferguson (35 pts) and Joel Kindred (28) helped put things away. Those two, however, received plenty of help as Jesse Jones held a hot hand with his first half threes (4/4), while the trio of Juwan Miller, Shakwon Barrett and Darnell Landon went a combined 4/5 from distance in the opening half and 6/9 through to the final buzzer.
Braylon Rayson showed the way offensively for Sudbury, finishing with 32 points (including seven threes), while Jaylen Bland added 21 points (16 in second half) and Jeremy Harris (15) and Jason Calliste (11) also hit double digits. Where the Five regularly top their opponents in three point baskets in most games, such wasn’t the case in this contest, the Titans holding a 20-17 advantage.
That said, if some thought that this match-up would be decided solely in the paint, the Five had other ideas entirely, racking up nearly as many total rebounds as the visitors (45-40) and setting the tone early.
“I thought we competed on the glass, kept them off the offensive rebound,” said Etherington. “I thought we played with good defensive energy in that first run.”
In many ways, the ensuing stretch really defined the game, as K-W outscored Sudbury 69-43 from the time that coach Neal Foreman called a timeout just 3:04 into the playoff encounter through until the teams receded to their respective dressing rooms.
That sequence was front and centre as Etherington contemplated the alterations that he would like to see come Tuesday night for game two in Sudbury. “We have to make the catches more difficult, to do more to make driving the lanes more difficult; just make it tougher on them because they were shooting with confidence in that first half.”
For his part, Williams Jr was equally as confident, combining a willingness to drive the ball through traffic with his signature high energy level game. “That’s my job; that’s what I do,” he said. “If there is one thing that I do, I’m going to bring energy every time I get out on the court.”
“There’s no balancing – it’s just me.”
Truth be told, a strong individual performance meant precious little to the 29 year old native of Jacksonville, Florida. “We lost, so I really can’t myself on the back,” said Williams.
And so it’s back to the drawing board, with a strong likelihood that the same cast of characters will be counted upon to try and find a way to even the series at one. Starters Jaylen Bland, Braylon Rayson, Dexter Williams Jr and Jeremy Harris all played 43 minutes or more.
And while Marcel White struggled to find his touch in this outing, with veteran Jason Calliste coming off the bench to see 21 minutes of floor time (Kirk Williams Jr added 19), the expectation is that Etherington will run with the team that secured home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
They will be entrusted with the task of ensuring that a hot start extends well beyond three minutes of play. If not, the post-season could be a short one for the Sudbury Five.
Game two is set for Tuesday (May 17th) in Sudbury, with a 7:00 p.m. tip-off