The Sudbury Five scored a season-high 133 points on Sunday, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Cape Breton Highlanders, as the Sudbury boys dropped a 138-133 decision.
With the loss, the Five's record sits at 18-17, putting them in fourth place in the Central Division with just five games left in the regular season.
The team got a boost on Sunday in Cape Breton, as Jaylen Bland returned from an injury that sidelined him for nearly a month. Bland wasted no time making an impact, leading all scorers with 34 points. Braylon Rayson added another strong performance to his season, dropping 31 points and adding nine assists.
The Five stormed out of the gates early Sunday, grabbing a 41-29 lead after just one quarter of play. Sudbury would add another 36 points in the second quarter and took a 77-65 lead into halftime.
The Highlanders regrouped at the break however, and mounted a charge in the second half, closing the gap to just three points, trailing the Five 106-103 with one quarter to play in the game.
Sudbury was unable to stave off the Highlanders comeback, as the home team rallied for 35 points in the fourth quarter while holding Sudbury to just 27 points and walking away with a five-point victory.
The Five are back in action Tuesday as they take on the league-leading Moncton Magic. The Five will close out their east coast road swing on Thursday against the Island Storm, before returning home to Sudbury for their final three games of the regular season.
