Lightning Earn Redemption Win Over Five
February 4, 2023 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
London Lightning News Release
LONDON, ON - The Lightning picked up a redemption win Saturday night over the visiting Sudbury Five to the tune of 99-85.
Shorthanded after the release of Jordan Burns and Mike Edwards and the injury to Terry Thomas, the Lightning started the game with an energy that has been missing for most of the season. After briefly allowing Sudbury to take an eight point lead mid-way through the first quarter, London would finish the quarter on a 21-6 run to lead 30-23 and never give up their lead for the remainder of the game.
The Five would hang around for most of the second and third quarters thanks to London's poor shooting performance. As a team, London shot 38.9% from the field and an icy 10-42 from beyond the arc (23.8%). Tempers would flare as Five player, Jaylen Bland, was ejected after receiving his second technical foul early in the fourth, fortunately, cooler heads would prevail.
With London leading by nine points heading into the fourth quarter, both teams would struggle to find the bottom of the basket, with both teams combining for just 27 total points. London's bench would close out the game, outscoring Sudbury 16-11, helping London secure the 14 point victory. London now takes sole possession of first place in the NBL Canada standings with a 5-2 record while Sudbury suffers their second loss of the season and currently sits 4-2.
Sudbury currently leads the league at 108.0 points per game this season, but despite beating London in the first of their two meetings, is averaging just 85.5 points against the Bolts stingy defense.
Despite uncharacteristically poor shooting numbers, Mareik Isom led the Bolts with a team-high 19 points, five steals and five rebounds. Player of the Game, Antwon Lillard, added 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals of his own while Marcus Ottey (15 points) and Mike Nuga (14 points) rounded out the scoring on the night.
Despite his early exit, Jaylen Bland led the Five and all scorers with 22 points on 7-22 from the field while also adding 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Jeremy Harris added 19 on 6-15 shooting. The league's leading rebounder, JD Miller recorded a double-double on the night with 16 points and 11 rebounds.
Make sure to stay up to date with team news by following the team on social media or through the team website at www.lightningbasketball.ca.
National Basketball League of Canada Stories from February 4, 2023
- Lightning Earn Redemption Win Over Five - London Lightning
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