The Sudbury Five return home victorious after winning 126-123 against the Windsor Express on Nov. 17 and 115-112 against the Kitchener Titans on Nov. 18.
This may have been the inaugural weekend for the Sudbury Five but they are showing no signs of growing pains.
This weekend marked not only the expansion of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL) but the establishment of the Sudbury Five as force to be reckoned with.
On their opening night against the Windsor Express, No. 1 Jaylen Bland became the first player to score in a Five uniform opening up the game's scoring with a deep 3.
Windsor's Ryan Anderson led both teams in scoring in the first quarter with 13 points, allowing the Express to come within 3 points of the Five's 34-31 lead.
By the second quarter the Express pulled ahead 69-46 thanks to 14 additional points by Anderson, and high pressing defence by big man Juan Pattillo.
Sudbury Five's Braylon Rayson led the charge in the third quarter scoring 19 points while Dexter Williams came off the bench to score nine. After a strong third quarter, the Five trailed the Express 96-89.
Saginaw native, Bland led the Sudbury Five in scoring dropping eight threes and scoring 40 points in his first NBLC game.
Only hours after the team's historic first game in Windsor, the Five delivered their second season win.
Both teams got off to a quick start in the first quarter, with Five guard Braylon Rayson and Titan guard Akeem Ellis leading the charge.
Ellis delivered seven points for the Titans securing a 30-24 lead for them by the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter was all defence for both teams. Five big man Grandy Glaze led the way for the Five on both sides of the court, collecting noni points and six rebounds in the quarter. After 17 points by Rayson including three three-pointers, the Five had regained their lead 56-55.
The defensive battle continued for both teams in the third, with turnovers and steals becoming a common theme. The Titans were led by 7-0 centre Derek Hall who had eight points and three rebounds on the half.
The third quarter was a team effort for the Five, with ten different players registering at least one point in the quarter. Bland led the Five in scoring, registering eight points in the quarter but not enough to protect them from a down of 83-85.
The final quarter was where it all went down, with Rayson and Travis Releford each delivering 10 points and defensive Glaze collecting six rebounds, helping the Five secure a 115-112 win.
