Mill Rats Win with the Lucky Rainbow
December 2, 2011 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Saint John Riptide News Release
(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats had the lucky rainbow on their side as they beat the Halifax Rainmen 97-92 at Harbour Station, Friday night, in front of 2,141 fans.
Saint John bolted out of the gates and held the lead for most of the game. Greg Plummer, Steve Deluca and Antonio Burks were on fire with a three point marathon; not even the rain could douse the flames. Plummer fired off 5 three point field goals in the first half, coupled with Steve Deluca's 9 points and Antonio Burk's 12 points, all contributed from downtown.
The Mill Rats shined bright with a heavy lead for the majority of the game and at the beginning of the third quarter, held a 23 point lead over the Rainmen with a score of 62-39.
Heading into the fourth quarter, the Mill Rats still gripped a 20 point lead but the rain started to hit and the Halifax Rainmen clawed back to a 10 point spread of 88-78 with 7 minutes remaining in the game.
The crowd erupted and tension was high as the Mill Rats and the Rainmen pressed the court. One minute and fifty seconds remained when Antoine Tisby secured the 92-88 lead with a dunk; seconds later, following up with a couple of free throws from the line.
With 3.4 seconds remaining, Halifax Rainmen's Joey Haywood fouled Steve Deluca, giving the Mill Rats the chance to lock down a couple more free throws which resulted in a final 5 point win over the Halifax Rainmen, 97-92.
"I got here early and started getting my shots going. Once the game starts and you hit one, they start flowing. We had a big lead but then it got scary at the end. We pulled it off though and I'm glad we got the win," stated Steve Deluca.
Tonight was the conclusion of a three day home game stretch where the Mill Rats secured two wins. "I'm glad we won. This is the third game in three nights - we'll take it. Tired legs, tough schedule - we'll take it," stated Head Coach Jaren Jackson, former NBA player with the San Antonio Spurs.
Greg Plummer was the game's leading scorer with 26 points, while Steve Deluca, Antoine Tisby and Antonio Burks each contributed 15. Leading scorers for the Halifax Rainmen were Joey Haywood with 18; Justin Johnson and Tyrone Levett with 17 each.
The Saint John Mill Rats were 59.3% for three point field goals, while the Halifax Rainmen were 30%. Mill Rat Anthony Anderson was one rebound short of claiming a triple double with 10 points, 10 assists and 9 rebounds.
The Halifax Rainmen move to 3-5 in league standings while the Mill Rats jump to 7-5.
The Saint John Mill Rats host the Quebec Kebs at Harbour Station on Dec 11th. The theme will be "Mill Rats Family Day"; stay tuned for more information by visiting our website below.
The Mill Rats would also like to thank all the fans who came out this evening to honour the retirement of David Cooper's jersey #7.
Mill Rats single game and flex tickets are now on sale at the Harbour Station box office 657-1234 or the Mill Rats office 214-4454.
National Basketball League of Canada Stories from December 2, 2011
- Lightning Highlights Tonight's Storm-Y Weather - London Lightning
- Rainmen Fall to Mill Rats - Halifax Rainmen
- Mill Rats Win with the Lucky Rainbow - Saint John Riptide
- Miracles Fall to Kebs - Moncton Miracles
- Summerside Unable to Shake 3 Game Curse - Summerside Storm
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