Rainy weather didn’t stop 2,104 loud and excited fans from making their way to the Sudbury Community to cheer on the Sudbury Five on a Sudbury Saturday night against the Jamestown Jackals.
Both basketball teams gave the fans a close contest.
With 7:54 remaining in the first quarter and the score 8-4 for Jamestown, JD Miller hit a contested layup and then scored on the ensuing free throw to make the score 8-7. With 5:50 remaining in the opening quarter, Braylon hit the stepback three pointer to put Sudbury ahead by one, at 11-10. With 4:19 remaining in the first quarter, Dexter Williams Jr. dished the ball to newcomer Mark Vital, who was suited up for his first game with the Five, for the layup to make the score 15-13 for the Jamestown Jackals. Sudbury held a 21-20 lead after the opening 12 minutes of play.
With 5:49 remaining in the half, JD Miller connected on a slam dunk to make the score 32-31 for Jamestown. When there was 4:55 remaining in the second quarter, JD Miller also connected on a dunk to pull the Five within three, with a score of 56-53. JD Miller continued with his scoring touch by hitting a jump shot to make the score 43-38 for Jamestown, with 3:28 remaining in the second quarter. The score was 54-41 for the Jackals heading into the halftime break.
JD Miller came out of the dressing room after halftime still with the hot hand as he put away a slam dunk to pull Sudbury within 15, with the score being 64-49 with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter. With just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter Montell McRae hit the three point shot to pull Sudbury within seven, 72-65. In the last minute of the third quarter, after a block by Duane Notice on the defensive end, Montell McRae hit a slam dunk to pull the Five within 3, 72-69. At the end of the third quarter, the Jamestown Jackals held a 76-71 lead over the Sudbury Five.
When there was 11:15 remaining in the fourth quarter, AJ Mosby nailed a three-point jumper to pull Sudbury within two of Jamestown, 78-76. JD Miller then hit a layup to pull Sudbury within one of Jamestown, 79-78. JD Miller hit a fadeaway jump shot with 4:55 remaining in the fourth quarter to give the Five an 89-86 lead. With just over one minute remaining in the fourth quarter JD Miller tipped in a shot from Braylon Rayson to give Sudbury a 97-95 lead.
Jamestown hit one more basket and the Sudbury Five fell to the Jamestown Jackals, 98-97.
After the loss, the Sudbury Five now have 21 wins and six losses on the season, which is good for a tie with the London Lightning for first place in the National Basketball League of Canada, who also has a 21-win and six-loss record this season.
When asked what the message for the Five was in the timeout with six seconds remaining in the game, Sudbury Head Coach Logan Stutz said, “Get a stop.”
The Five look to get a weekend split against Jamestown the afternoon of Sunday, April 23, at 2 p.m.. Before the game, beginning at 11:30 a.m., the Five will be holding their annual Fan Fest, where fans can meet the team, have a shoot around, and there will be a barbecue as well.
After Sunday, the Five hit the road for two games, in Windsor against the Windsor Express on April 29 and in Kitchener against the KW Titans on April 29 before coming home to close out the regular season against the defending National Basketball League of Canada champions, the London Lightning.
Super fan Robert McCarthy covers home games of the Sudbury Wolves and Sudbury Five for Sudbury.com. Got a question for Robert? Email it to [email protected].
