It was a special version of a Sudbury Saturday Night on March 9 as the Basketball Super League (BSL) put on its inaugural All-Star Game, hosted by the Sudbury Five at Sudbury Arena.
Thousands of screaming fans packed the old barn for an evening that included a three-point contest, a slam dunk competition and an all-star game between the best players in the BSL.
Nick Garth of the London Lightning took the honours and won the first ever Basketball Super League three-point contest, while Brandon Belodi of the Montreal Toundra took home the award for the slam dunk competition.
The skills competition, always a crowd hit, was just the appetizer, though. The main course was All-Star game itself, showcasing the best talent the Basketball Super League has to offer.
Check out Landon Kirkwood getting some big air for this dunk:
As expected, the match between Team Red and Team Blue was a high-scoring affair.
Team Blue took an early lead in the first quarter, and after the first 12 minutes of play, they led by a score of 52-45, thanks to contributions from Windsor Express player Paul Harrison with 15 points in the game, and the Sudbury Five’s Duane Notice with five points of his own in the game.
The second quarter was a little bit closer, but Team Blue won this quarter, too, by a score of 46-43. At the half, Team Blue led Team Red 98-88. Playin for Team Red, Newfoundland Rogues star Armani Chaney scored 24 points in the game and Philip Flory, of the Montreal Toundra, scored 36 in the game.
Team Red came back to take the lead in the third quarter. so that heading into the fourth quarter, they held a slim 128-126 lead.
Team Blue wasn’t about to give up just yet though. Both teams put on a clinic in the final frame, racking up a total of 103 points in that quarter alone. While Team Red came away with an impressive 42 points on the quarter, Team Blue netted 61, earning them the win in the BSL’s inaugural all-star game by a score of 197-170.
Sudbury Five player AJ Mosby, scoring an outstanding 47 points in the game, was named the Most Valuable Player of the league’s first All-Star Game.
After the game, Sudbury Five Head Coach and General Manager Logan Stutz, who also coached Team Red, said, “It was a great night for Sudbury. AJ (Mosby Jr.) winning the MVP was the icing on the cake. We proved we have the best fans and market in the league. I couldn’t be more proud of our city. Thank you, Sudbury!”
With the All-Star Game over, the Sudbury Five once again turn their attention to league play with their next game on March 16, at Sudbury Arena, against the Derby City Distillers, with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
Super fan Robert McCarthy covers Sudbury Wolves games for Sudbury.com. Got a question for Robert? Email it to [email protected].
