Looking to settle the score following a last-minute defeat on home court Friday, the Sudbury Five faced off against the St. John's Edge this afternoon for the deciding game in the Central Division Semi-Final.
Fueled by the cheers of a home-town crowd, the Edge broke onto the scoreboard with a 9-0 run in the first frame, keeping the Five outside with some heavy defence. Five's Yohanny Dalembert got the ball rolling for Sudbury half-way through first, sinking two points from the foul line.
The Nickel City boys caught this momentum in no time, cutting St.John's lead to two points with a 17-15 score heading into second.
The Five hit the court hard in second, scoring back-to-back three-pointers by Maurice Jones Sr. and Jaylen Bland, giving Sudbury a temporary lead. It didn't take long for the Edge to take control of the quarter, eliminating Sudbury's lead with an 11-2 run.
Once again, the Five managed to cut St. John's lead to two heading into the next period, this time with a score of 40-38.
Scoring a season low of 38 points in the first half, Coach Logan Stutz changed his style in third, hoping to turn the game in Sudbury's favour. It took the Edge some time to get a handle on this new and improved Five defence, allowing the squad to take off on a ten point run before retaliation.
Once the Edge got their hands on the ball, they were quick to settle the score, taking the lead on their final possession of the game. But the period wasn't over there. Watching the clock, Dexter Williams Jr. rushed the ball up the floor, hitting the three as time expired to help the Five regain their lead, 68-67.
With Game Five up for grabs, things got heated in fourth. The Edge held the upper hand throughout the quarter, extending their lead as soon as Sudbury managed to get within a bucket.
A familiar face in the final round of Edge games throughout the regular season, St. John's Murphy Burnatowski took the court in the fourth, scoring 12 points and six rebounds to extend the teams already significant lead. Five offence sizzled out in fourth, scoring a low 24 points in the final frame.
The Edge claimed the game and the series with a 101-92 final, meaning they will now face the winner of the other Central Division Semi-Final between the London Lightning and the KW Titans.
