The Sudbury Five evened out their 4-4 record at Sudbury Arena on Friday, winning a nail-biting, shot-for-shot matchup against the Kitchener-Waterloo Titans.
It took some time to get the ball rolling at the Elgin Street barn, but once Nickel City's Braylon Rayson broke open the scoreboard, there was no going back.
Sudbury pushed past their Central Division rivals with a strong performance in the second half, to claim a 122-114 victory.
Both teams had a strong first-quarter performance, ending with the Titans nipping at the heels of the Five with a score of 27-25.
Sudbury once again, pushed ahead by a hair in the second, draining another 27 points to finish the first half up 54-51 over their guests.
It wouldn't be until the third quarter that Nickel City would distance themselves from the Titans, opening a 90-82 lead.
The teams delivered 32 points each in the final frame, but it wouldn't be enough for the Titans to battle back from their deficit.
Sudbury native Georges Serresse brought the Five their final point with less than two minutes left, ending the game at 122-114.
Rayson once again lead the Five in points with a total of 28, which included 11 field goals, six three-pointers, seven rebounds and seven assists. Teammates Jaylen Bland and Marlon Johnson were right on his tail, tied at 21 points each.
Titans Akeem Ellis and Akeem Scott in points, leading their team with a total of 24 each. Ellis contributed 11 field goals, one three-pointer, one free throw, nine rebounds and five assists that evening. While Scott was responsible for seven field goals, one three-pointer, 9 free-throws, six rebounds and three assists.
The Five sit third in the Central Division behind the London Lightning and Windsor Express.
They return to Sudbury Arena on Sunday to host PEI's Island Storm at 2 p.m.
