Saint John Concludes 2011 with Road Victory
January 1, 2012 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
Saint John Riptide News Release
(Saint John, NB): The Saint John Mill Rats, presented by Rogers, concluded 2011 with a key road victory as they downed the Summerside Storm 103-89 on the road in Prince Edward Island.
Summerside held a brief early 15-11 lead midway through the first quarter, but a 12-3 run the remainder of the quarter gave Saint John a 23-18 lead at the end of the period. The Mill Rats extended that lead to 51-35 at the half.
In the third quarter, the Mill Rats pushed their lead to a 70-43 margin at the 6:28 mark, silencing the record-setting crowd at the Eastlink Arena. However, suddenly the Storm woke up, and went on a 21-5 run of their own to finish the third quarter, cutting Saint John's lead to 75-64.
With the departure of Calvin Cage, Anthony Anderson was the lone point guard on the Mill Rats roster and had to carry the heavy burden of running the club while maintaining his contribution as the leading scorer in the National Basketball League of Canada. For 45 minutes of playing time he was brilliant.
Then midway through the fourth quarter Anderson came up injured during a drive to the basket with the Mill Rats leading by a score of 87-71.
Summerside took advantage of his absence and cut the margin to as close as nine points, but Anderson managed to shake off the injury and return to the game at the 4:45 mark, and Saint John was able maintain a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game and win, 103-89.
Anderson led seven Mill Rats in double figures with 24 points to go with 10 assists. Isaac Kuon contributed 16 points, Greg Plummer 15, Antonio Burks 11, and Kevin Francis 11. Antoine Tisby added 10 points to go with 19 rebounds and 6 blocks, and Steve Deluca scored 14 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. The Storm were led by Troy Jackson with 22 points.
The victory ends 2011 on a high note for Saint John, snaps their three-game losing streak, and improves their record to 9-9 overall. The win also pushes the Storm to two full games behind Saint John in the NBL Canada standings. Summerside now sits at 7-11.
The Mill Rats will be on the road for their next three games visiting the Moncton Miracles on January 3rd, the Quebec Kebs on the 5th, and the Halifax Rainmen on January 14. Join the team Jan. 14th, Saturday as they take on the Rainmen by riding on the Mill Rats Fan Bus.
The Mill Rats host a rematch with the #1 ranked London Lightning on Sunday, January 15th for the "Smells Like School Spirit" theme night.
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 January 1, 2012
- Lightning Take First Game of the New Year - London Lightning
- Oshawa Power Lose 133-99 to Halifax - Mississauga Power
- Miracles Fall to Top Ranked Lightning - Moncton Miracles
- Rainmen Wash out Power, Set New NBL Canada Record - Halifax Rainmen
- Saint John Concludes 2011 with Road Victory - Saint John Riptide
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