A very fast start and a dash at game’s end, combined with just enough good basketball mixed in between allowed the Sudbury Five to notch their first win of the 2024-2025 Basketball Super League season at home on Sunday, 129-121 over the K-W Titans.

After dropping their season opener last weekend to the London Lightning, the Five showed they were more than ready from the opening tipoff in game two, bolting to a 10-0 lead and increasing the advantage to 38-18 by the end of quarter one.

For the better part of the next two quarters, the visiting Titans gradually battled their way back, grabbing their first lead of the game (81-80) late in quarter three.

But with the homeside clinging to a three point advantage (119-116) with under 90 seconds to play, it was time for one last push punctuated by a three point basket from Charlie Marquardt and a steal and layup from Ja’Myrin Jackson eight seconds later.

“There were a lot of ups and downs – and we need to work towards consistency,” stressed head coach Logan Stutz following this encounter, his troops now preparing for five straight games away from home between December 5th (at Pontiac Pharaohs) and December 28th (at London Lightning).

“When we are doing things right, we know that we’re a pretty good team,” added Stutz. “We just have too many highs and too many lows and we need to narrow that down.”

It would be hard to find fault in the offensive balance in the lineup as various Sudbury players stepped up at various times. Cases in point:

1) Charlie Marquardt scores 13 of his 28 points in the opening 12 minutes
2) Ja’Myrin Jackson took the baton for the second leg, netting 14 of his 30 in Q2
3) Jelani Simmons holds in the hot hand in the third, sinking all but one of his 14 points in that period
4) Allen Billinger (8) joins Jackson (9) and Marquardt (28) in bringing things home in the fourth

Through it all, veteran Duane Notice remained “steady Eddie”, recording 18 points including several big baskets at critical junctures of the game.

“I like to be that nucleus guy with my playmaking, getting the guys open,” said 30 year-old Torontonian. “I love playing with a guy like Charlie (Marquardt), always looking for him to get his shot going – and other guys too.”

With six players in double digits and led by the duo of Samson Akano (26) and Dominick Welch (20), the KW crew benefitted from a notable plus in the rebound column (31 vs 21 for Sudbury), with coach and player alike for the Five understanding that their own end of the court will likely be the make or break factor in many a contest this season.

“When we came out and played defense in the first and third (quarters), we did pretty good,” said Stutz. “But then we had letdowns in the second and fourth, which is really defensive stamina, which is discipline and focus – and which we definitely need to improve on.”

“But it was good to see a lot of the guys go out there and work on it.”

It certainly wasn’t as though the Five workouts this week stressed nothing but running up the score, looking to secure victories only in wild shootouts.

“We’ve been focusing on defense a lot in practice,” said Notice. “I think it means a lot to us when we get stops – and coach always emphasizes the importance when we get three stops in a row.”

“That’s a great mindset to have,” Notice continued. “Trying to hold teams to under 20 points in a quarter is a goal that we have.”

Truth be told, Notice has been part of Sudbury teams in the past that have simply tried to outscore their defensive shortcomings, whether by design or not. It’s not, however, what he sees in this current very coachable edition of the Five.

“Since I’ve been here, we’ve always had offensive power,” said Notice. “I don’t really congratulate us on our offense. A lot of our guys are skilled and talented and can score. For us, it’s about the effort on defense – that’s what I take the most pride in.”

The Sudbury Five will remain in the province for a two-game road set next weekend against the Pontiac Pharaohs (December 5th) and Windsor Express (December 6th) before heading out east to face the Newfoundland Rogues on both December 13th and 14th.