Power Advance to NBL Canada Playoffs with 103-100 Win
March 2, 2014 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Mississauga Power News Release
(Ottawa, ON - ) The Mississauga Power traveled to Ottawa today to take on the SkyHawks in a play-in game in Ottawa. The Power defeated the SkyHawks 103-100 and have made the NBL Canada playoffs for the first time in franchise history. The game was anybody's contest in the fourth quarter but it was Alex Johnson, who was drafted #1 this year by the SkyHawks but traded to the Power who made the final freethrow to seal the win for the Power. Morgan Lewis continued to make a case for league MVP by leading the Power with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Lewis has averaged 26.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game over his last nine contests. Kirk Williams Jr. added 18 points for the Power while Mark Gomillia had 17. The SkyHawks were led by Ryan Anderson's 23 points.
The SkyHawks opened up the game very strongly, scoring on six of their first ten attempts, going on an early 14-7 run. The Power responded by coming out of a timeout with a 10-3 run of their own to take the lead. Both teams continued to play an up-tempo style of play for the rest of the quarter, with the SkyHawks taking a 33-29 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Power started the second quarter on a 8-2 run to quickly take the lead away from the SkyHawks. The SkyHawks instantly responded with a small run of their own to retake a four point lead with 8 minutes left in the quarter. The Power were then sparked by strong play from Morgan Lewis, who scored 11 points in the quarter. The Power ended the second quarter red hot, scoring 30 points to Ottawa's 16 and shooting 60% from the field in the first half. The Power took a 59-49 lead into the second half.
The SkyHawks quickly recovered in the third quarter, the team got hot, started on a 13-6 run and continued to score at will in the quarter. The SkyHawks outscored the Power by ten points in the quarter, tying up the game heading into the final quarter.
In the final quarter of play, both teams clamped down defensively, causing the opposing team to struggle on offense. The game was all tied up at 100 apiece with with 1:51 remaining. Both teams continued to battle and play tough defense with Morgan Lewis knocking down two key freethrows to help the Power take the lead. In the final possessions of the game, the SkyHawks had two costly turnovers, which led to freethrows for Alex Johnson. Johnson converted a freethrow to give the Power a one point lead with just 20 seconds remaining in the game. The SkyHawks would not get off another shot as the Power held on for the 103-100 win.
The Power will begin the series against #1 seed Windsor Express with two games on Martch 4th and 5th before returning home to the Hershey Centre on March 6th for playoff basketball!
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