Titans Crush St. John's Edge
February 23, 2020 - National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada)
KW Titans News Release
The KW Titans came out on top over the St. John's Edge on Thursday night at the Aud in a game that was domination from start to finish for the home team.
The Edge won the tipoff but that's where their good fortune would end in this one.
The Titans won the race for the first points on the board as Damon Lynn (14 points, four 3-PM) slid in for an easy one under the rim.
KW never looked back after that and went on a scoring spree with a barrage of three-pointers coming from all over the floor as the Titans knocked down an incredible 14 triples in the first quarter alone.
And as if they're offensive dominance wasn't enough, the Titans clamped down on the Edge on the other side of the court and allowed just 18 points in the quarter.
The Titans set the pace for the rest of the game in the opening period and led the visitors 35-18 after the first 12 minutes of action.
The second quarter saw more of the same for KW. Despite the Edge's best efforts, they weren't able to make much of a dent in the score and were held down by the Titans' stellar defence once again.
The Titans' advantage hovered around 20 points for much of the quarter and even if it dipped below that mark for short periods at a time, KW kept St. John's in check with their defensive intensity and refused to let the Edge make up any ground in their attempts at a comeback.
KW continued their strong play throughout the second on the back of Ed Horton (19 points, nine assists) and his 16 first-half points. Although the Edge's Junior Cadougan (13 points) was able to put in a last-second buzzer-beater, the Titans clearly had control of the game as they went into the intermission with a lead of 51-32 over St. John's.
Cadougan picked up where he left off at the buzzer and drained an easy three-pointer to start the second half off but after some back and forth action that led to no scoring from either side, Jonathan Harris(15 points, nine rebounds) connected on a three of his own.
Shortly after, Nigel Tyghter (six points, 10 rebounds) showed some great hustle as he dove on the floor for a loose ball which eventually found Lynn behind the three-point line for yet another bomb from deep.
The Edge did their best to get themselves back in the game but it seemed like the Titans matched their intensity every step of the way and weren't giving up any ground.
With just over a minute left in the quarter, Akeem Ellis (13 points, nine rebounds, seven assists) put his head down and drove to the net where he got the hoop and the harm, giving the Titans a safe 20 point lead yet again.
Moments later, Horton caught the Edge sleeping at the wheel as they brought the ball up the court as he poked the ball away right before he dished it to Olu Famutimi (12 points) for his second slam of the night, putting an exclamation point on another impressive quarter.
In the fourth, the Edge's Ryan Richardson (15 points) got started early on as he knocked down an easy triple that cut the Titans' lead down to just 16 points but Famutimi took matters into his own hands quickly after and came up with a steal and a bucket followed by back-to-back three-pointers on the following possessions causing the crowd to go wild.
From then on, it was a foregone conclusion that the Titans had this one in the bag.
Akeem Scott (15 points) got in on the fun too and put his strength on display as he drove to the hoop and connected on the layup while drawing the foul as well. Scott relished the Edge's attempt to stop him and shared a moment with the crowd right after.
As much as the Edge tried, they simply could not overcome the Titans' will to win in this one and after Lynn drained a dagger three-pointer with just a minute left, the fans knew the game was as good as done.
The Titans knocked off the Edge with ease on Thursday and went home with a 101-86 victory over St. John's.
Head coach Cavell Johnson was more than happy with the effort his team played with and had nothing but positive things to say after the game.
"We've lit a fire under our own tails to play with a sense of urgency. We know we need every win," Johnson said. "We've got to continue to build on what we've done these last two games and the biggest thing is staying together, playing hard for the man next to you. On the road, it's only us."
KW Titans' top performer, Ed Horton shared his coach's sentiments.
"We came out with a lot more energy than what we've been playing," Horton said. "We've been having good practices. Everybody's starting to gel together [and] starting to figure it out.ÃÂ Now it's about to be the second half of the season [and] everybody's
starting to realize it's time for everybody to get together and get on the same page."
The Titans will now kick off their five-game road trip in Windsor on Sunday against the Express.
Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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