Frost Heaves escape Halifax with a two point victory
February 20, 2009 - Premier Basketball League (PBL)
Vermont Frost Heaves News Release
Halifax, NS- Benson Callier hit ten straight points in the fourth on his way to a game high 21, and John Williams hit a running eight footer with 28 seconds to go as Vermont defeats Halifax 100-98.
Halifax went up early on a Tony Bennett jumper, but then Vermont went on a 7-0 run to take an early 7-2 lead, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the first half. In the first half, Vermont's offence centered around the three ball going 10-18 from beyond the arc while going only 8-28 from two point range.
In the first half, Greg Plummer and Joe Nixon each hit three from three point range while John Williams added another two. The Rainmen struggled from the field shooting 38.5 percent in the first half, but free throw woes plagued Halifax as they shot only 52 percent on 14-27. Eric Crookshank missed on all six of his free throw attempts in the half. On the upside for the Rainmen, their bench outscored Vermont's 34-17.
Halifax would come back in the third quarter on the shoulders of Eric Crookshank. Crookshank would hit eight of the first ten points of the quarter, the last on a thunderous dunk that tied the game at 56. The teams would exchange baskets throughout the third quarter and would be tied at 76 at the end of three quarters.
In the fourth, it would go back and forth. After Callier hit ten straight Vermont points, John Strickland hit a runner in the land and Brian Silverhorn hit a pair of free throws as Halifax would cut a seven point Vermont lead back to three. The Frost Heaves would extend their lead back to six, but Tony Bennett would nail a pair of free throws to cut the lead back to four; this started a 7-1 run which would tie the game at 98. Then, with just 28 seconds to go, Williams would end up being the game winner, and Bennett missed a desperation three at the buzzer as Vermont escapes with the two point victory.
Notes: Brian Silverhorn and Eric Crookshank lead Halifax with 16 points each. Vermont shot 46 percent from three point range. The game was played in front of an announced crowd of 3,022 at the Metro Centre in Halifax.
Premier Basketball League Stories from February 20, 2009
- Manchester Remains Unbeaten in February - Saint John Riptide
- Throwbacks throw down Quebec, Win 109-104 - Chicago Throwbacks
- Knights move to 12-0, Beat Detroit 143-133 - Battle Creek Knights
- Frost Heaves escape Halifax with a two point victory - Vermont Frost Heaves
- Quebec visits Burlington On Sunday - Vermont Frost Heaves
- Battle Creek Remains Undefeated, Wins 131-111 - Battle Creek Knights
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
