Burks' Buzzer Beater Lifts Mill Rats
December 13, 2012 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Saint John Riptide News Release
(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats, presented by Rogers, added a win to their season against the Halifax Rainmen after a buzzer beating three pointer from Antonio Burks at the buzzer. The final score on Thursday night was 98-97.
The Rainmen opened the game with an early run pulling ahead of the Mill Rats by as many as 10 points but Saint John battled back and closed the gap 16-21 to end the first quarter. Mill Rats' Steven Deluca opened up the second with a three pointer but it was his second three that gave the Mill Rats their first lead over their Port City rivals, the Rainmen. With 9 minutes left before half, the Mill Rats led by 1 point, 24-23.
The Mill Rats battled with the Rainmen but lost their lead at the end of the second after some great plays by Josiah Turner and Brant Bailey. The Rainmen closed the half leading 33-47 over the Mill Rats, outscoring them by 9 points (17-26).
The Mill Rats weren't ready to give up and battled back hard from their 14 point deficit in the third. A three pointer from Jerice Crouch with 2:19 on the clock before the end of the third put the Mill Rats at 57-65, still trailing but closing the gap.
Ending the third, the Mill Rats were only behind 4 points, 63-67. They were able to outscore the Rainmen 30-20.
The Mill Rats turned up the heat in the fourth. Four minutes into play, Anthony Anderson's 2 free throws and Jerice Crouch's three, closed the gap, 77-78. With 6:10 on the clock, the Mill Rats took the lead back after a three from Anderson and a basket from Melvin Council. Mill Rats lead 82-78.
The Mill Rats were able to pull ahead by 8 points but with minutes left in the game, the Rainmen battled back and with 1:08 on the clock, there was only a basket difference.
With 2.6 seconds on the clock, Rainmen's Bailey was fouled, making 1 for 2 on the line putting them at 95-97 over the Mill Rats. Inbounding the ball and passing off to Burks, the Mill Rats were able to get the win at Harbour Station in front of a rowdy crowd with the buzzer beating three, ending the game 98-97. When questioned on how that buzzer beater felt, Mill Rats Antonio Burks said, "That's my first game winner in my whole career so I'm excited. The guys played really hard - it was up and down. We went on runs and we played bad sometimes. But we fought really hard to get the win in front of our home crowd." Smiling he added, "I couldn't let my team put in all that hard work and lose."
Jerice Crouch led the Mill Rats with 32 points while Anthony Anderson added 25 and 5 assists. Cavell Johnson played a huge game tonight contributing 11 points and 10 boards.
Rainmen were led by Josiah Turner with 19 points, while Brant Bailey and former Mill Rat Antoine Tisby both added 16. The Mill Rats are back in action this weekend on Sunday afternoon at 2pm. The team hosts the Moncton Miracles at Harbour Station.
The Mill Rats still have 16 home games remaining this season so be sure to check out the Flex packs and pro-rated season ticket options. Tickets are available at Harbour Station or at the Mill Rats Fan Zone.
The Mill Rats Fan Zone (located in Brunswick Square) is offering a no tax sale until Dec. 22nd. Check out the merchandise for great Christmas gift ideas!
Flex & BOGO Packs - Great Stocking Stuffers!
Bogo Pack - $42.00 (3 Bowl tickets + 4 BOGOS + 10% discount voucher off merchandise)
10 Game Flex Pack - $120.00 (10 game tickets)
Family 4 Pack - $39.00 (2 Adult bowl seats, plus 2 Youth bowl seats, voucher for Kid's eating free at Jungle Jim's, 10% discount on merchandise, 25% discount on Mill Rats clinic)
Date Night Pack - $24.00 (2 Adult bowl seats, plus 50% off roses at Lancaster Florists, 10% off at one of Grannan's Hospitality Restaurants, + 10% discount off merchandise)
Jr Mill Rats Team Pack - $99.00 (12 Youth Tickets + 1 Coach ticket, BOGO for a large Domino's Pizza, 10% discount on merchandise, 25% discount on Mill Rats clinic)
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National Basketball League of Canada Stories from December 13, 2012
- Power Bounces Back from Heart Breaking Loss with 127-99 Win over Montreal - Mississauga Power
- Miracles Get Struck Down by Lightning - Moncton Miracles
- Burks' Buzzer Beater Lifts Mill Rats - Saint John Riptide
- Rainmen Lose to Millrats on Buzzer Beater - Halifax Rainmen
- Mill Rats Host Halifax Rainmen Tonight - Saint John Riptide
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