Mill Rats Claim First Place
December 23, 2012 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Saint John Riptide News Release
(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats presented by Rogers, claimed first place in the competitive Atlantic Division by winning their fifth straight game, 108-106 over the visiting Summerside Storm.
The Mill Rats opened up the game with a three pointer from Mill Rats guard Jerice Crouch. Both teams were basket for basket and the Storm was able to close the first quarter leading by 2, 27-29.
By the end of the first half, the Storm had gone on a short run and were able to pull ahead of the Mill Rats 49-55.
Third quarter, the Mill Rats turned up the heat and gained the lead. With just under 5 minutes on the clock, a pass from Anthony Anderson to Cavell Johnson under the basket gave the Mill Rats a 2 point lead but it was quickly answered with a three pointer from the Storm, keeping the Storm leading 70-71.
Anderson's And 1 play off of Cavell's free throw was able to give the Mill Rats a small lead but the Storm battled back. A three pointer from the Storm's Greg Plummer was answered by a three from Mill Rats Steven Deluca with 41 seconds left, Mill Rats leading 81-78.
Going into the fourth quarter, both teams were tied, 81-81 as the Storm were able to drain a three at the end of the third.
The fourth quarter was nothing short of intense as both teams rebounded and played hard defensively. With 6 minutes left in the game, the Mill Rats were able to pull ahead by as many as 9 points, leading 95-86.
With 2:23 on the clock, the Storm closed the gap to a 1 point lead for Saint John, 101-100. The Storm was able to pull ahead of the Mill Rats as both teams battled to get an edge.
A final three pointer from Joe Posey with 35 seconds left in the game, gave the Mill Rats the 2 points they needed to win the game. The Storm were not able to draw a basket on their last possession.
Mill Rats Head Coach David Cooper was happy with the game but is determined to keep focused. "The guys made big shots and big plays down the stretch. We still want to work on rebounding and our defensive rotations for our next game on Friday."
Leading scorers for the Mill Rats were Joe Posey with 23, Anthony Anderson with 19 and Sheray Thomas with 18.
The Storm were led by Brandon Robinson with 24, Greg Plummer with 23 and Chris Cayole with 17. Antonio Ballard posted a double double with 16 points and 19 boards.
The Mill Rats have moved up to first place in the Atlantic Division, moving up to 9-7 on the season. The Storm fall to 9-8.
The Mill Rats are back in action on Friday, December 28th at Harbour Station as they host the Halifax Rainmen at 7pm. Tickets are available at the Mill Rats Fan Zone in Brunswick Square or at the Harbour Station box office.
A special thank you to everyone who contributed toys for our "Toys for Tots" theme and for those who donated to Romero House. At half time, Investors Group and the Millies presented The Joshua Group with 4 bikes.
Mill Rats General Manager, Ian McCarthy states: "We are happy and appreciative to be able to work with wonderful sponsors and partners like Investors Group and Canadian Tire to give back to the community. A big thank you to everyone involved.
National Basketball League of Canada Stories from December 23, 2012
- Storm Lose Close One to Mill Rats - Summerside Storm
- Mill Rats Claim First Place - Saint John Riptide
- Rainmen Lose on the Road in Overtime - Halifax Rainmen
- Miracles Win with Big OT Win against Rainmen - Moncton Miracles
- Mill Rats Host Summerside Storm at 2pm - Saint John Riptide
- Storm Moving in to Saint John this Afternoon - Summerside Storm
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