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A's Struggle to Topple Niagara on the Road, Lose 119-109

March 3, 2016 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Orangeville A's News Release


The Orangeville A's (5-14) took to the road to face the Niagara River Lions (6-16) at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, ON. Orangeville looked to bounce back from an 8 game losing streak, which included a 4-game East Coast road trip.

The A's took a quick 1st quarter lead over the River Lions, going up 6-5 with 9:18 remaining in the 1st. The reinvigorated shooting of Orangeville's offense helped them knock down several jumpers from the field, including three made 3-pointers. Halfway through the 1st, Flen Whitfield dove for a loose ball and left the game immediately with an injured wrist. Both teams swapped leads throughout the 1st, in what shaped up to be a fast paced quarter. The River Lions took off to a 6-point lead with a minute remaining in the 1st, 29-23, after Orangeville fell into early foul trouble. The first quarter finished with an 8-point Niagara lead, 31-23.

The 2nd quarter started with a slight Orangeville swing, after the A's were able to tighten up on the defensive end and slow down the Niagara push. Orangeville was only able to trim the River Lions lead to 6 (37-31), before Niagara responded and reclaimed an 8-point lead midway through the 2nd. Newly signed guard, Louis Munks, has impressed the coaching staff during his short time with the A's, providing Orangeville with an immediate offensive spark out of the gate. Munks caught fire in the 2nd quarter, scoring 13 points on 4/7 shooting, including two buckets from deep. Munks singlehandedly sparked the A's comeback and brought the deficit back to 1 with 1:14 remaining, 50-49. The first half concluded with a 7-point Niagara lead, 56-49.

A's guard Louis Munks scored 5 straight to begin the 3rd quarter. Orangeville rode their momentum to tie the game once again at 56-56 a piece. The Orangeville offense appeared to be flowing excellently around Munks, who provided the A's with a long-range threat that stretched out the defensive coverage. After both teams matched even at 69-69, the River Lions applied the pressure and retook a 9-point lead with 3:32 remaining in the quarter, 81-72. The A's showed their resilience today as they were able to continually claw back into the game, bringing the score to 86-84 in the last minute of the 3rd. Unfortunately, for the A's, they couldn't slow down the River Lions before the break and finished the quarter trailing by 7, 91-84.

The 4th quarter started off rough for the A's, seeing the River Lions jump out to a 14-point lead with 8:08 to play in the game. Orangeville wasn't able to repeat last game's fourth quarter performance against the Lightning and ended up getting outscored 28-25 in the Q. One of the bright spots for the A's was the instant offense provided by A's guard Louis Munks, who finished the night with 25 points. A's forward Justin Moss also had an effective scoring night, managing to grab 30 points and 13 rebounds. Another mark of improvement for Orangeville was their 11 made team 3's, a huge step forward from their NBLC low of only 6.7 per game. Munks threw down an exciting late game slam but the damage was already done, with the A's down by 11 in the final minute. After failing to close the Niagara lead late in the 4th, the game would conclude with a 10-point River Lions lead, 119-109. Look for the Orangeville A's to bounce back from their losing spell on Saturday, March 5th as they take on their Central Division rival the London Lightning on the road at the Budweiser Gardens.

For your opportunity to get tickets of your own and stay current on everything Orangeville A's, head to AsBasketball.ca or NBLCanada.ca!

Louis Munks dropped 25 tonight!

NEXT HOME GAME!

Orangeville A's vs. Windsor Express

3:00 PM - Sunday, March 6th, 2016

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