Seven Straight Wins for the Bolts
February 24, 2023 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
London Lightning News Release
(London, ON) - The London Lightning are winners of their seventh straight game Thursday night after defeating the Windsor Express 98-91. The win marks the fourth straight win over the Express in as many games.
London entered tonight's game still undermanned with forward Mareik Isom still out with an injury while Antwon Lillard's spot on the roster has yet to be replaced after being dismissed from the team. Despite the negatives, there was plenty to celebrate as Terry Thomas Jr scored a quick four points and became the National Basketball League of Canada all-time leading scorer among Canadian players, surpassing the previous record held by another long-time Bolt, Garrett Williamson.
The first half of action saw the Bolts get out to an early lead behind a solid defensive performance, holding Windsor to just15 points on 23% shooting from the field including 1-10 from beyond the arc. Nick Garth would lead the charge for the Express in the second quarter, scoring eight of his 19 to help cut the Lightning lead to just one heading into the half.
After making the necessary adjustments during the break, London would catch fire and score 36 points while shooting a red-hot 61%. Despite leading by as many as 18 points in the second half, the Express would hang around and make a game of it by cutting into the Lightning lead and closing the gap to just three points with a minute left of action. London would close out the game hitting six straight free throws to earn the win.
Jordan Burns led the way for London, coming up clutch late and leading all scorers with 23 points to go along with a game-high 9 assists. The Bolts got another solid performance out of big-man Cameron Lard who added 16 points and 8 rebounds to go along with a career-high 4 blocks. Lance Adams continued his hot shooting hitting 3-6 from deep and leading the bench unit with 11 points while Canadian Mike Nuga added 10 off the bench. While not scoring in double-digits, Canadian Elijah Lufile and guard Jeremiah Mordi collected 10 and 13 rebounds to lead the Bolts.
All five Windsor starters scored in double-digits led by Jachai Taylor's 22. Nick Garth put up 19 for the Express on an ice-cold 7-22 from the field. Former MVP Billy White had a slow start to the game but finished with a double-double of 17 points and 10 rebounds while Latin Davis (11
points), Tanner Stuckman (10 points) and William Claiborne (10 points) rounded out the scoring for Windsor.
The Bolts are back in action next Thursday as they head to Sudbury for the first time this season to take on the 9-3 in a clash of the league's top two teams. London will remain on the road until March 15th as the Tim Hortons Brier has taken over the Budweiser Gardens.
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National Basketball League of Canada Stories from February 24, 2023
- Seven Straight Wins for the Bolts - London Lightning
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