The Sudbury Five bounced back nicely after a 29-point loss on Sunday at the hands of the Halifax Hurricanes and got back to even on their road trip with a win over the Saint John Riptide on Wednesday night.
The Five were led by Braylon Rayson and Cory Dixon who each dropped 34 points on the evening as the Five downed the Riptide by a score of 108-101.
It was a back-and-forth contest throughout as the teams traded leads from the opening whistle. The Riptide employed a balanced attack that saw five players hit double figures, with none scoring more than 16 points.
Sudbury's two-pronged attack of Rayson and Dixon put up more than half of the Five's points, while Jaylen Bland chipped in with 16 points of his own, including draining four shots from beyond the arc.
Saint John held a 24-20 lead after quarter number one, but the Five responded in the second quater to take a 48-46 lead into halftime. The Riptide snatched the lead back in the third quarter, outscoring the Five 26-23 and taking a narrow 72-71 lead into the final quarter of play.
The Five would not be denied as they exploded for 37 points in the fourth, and held on for the 108-101 victory.
Sudbury continues their road trip through the Maritimes this Friday as they take on the league-leading Cape Breton Highlanders in Nova Scotia. The Highlanders are riding a three-game win streak and sit atop the NBL Canada standings with a record of 14-7.
The Five return to Ontaio on Sunday for a matchup with the London Lightning, before playing a pair of games against the KW Titans on Jan. 31 and Feb. 2. The team will return home for a third straight game against the Titans on Feb. 7
