The Sudbury Five rebounded from their first lost at home by winning a squeaker of a game over the Windsor Express on Sunday afternoon.
With guards Dexter Williams Jr. and Devin Gilligan added to the team’s starting line-up for the first time this season, the Five got off to a hot start. Williams Jr. and Gilligan, both American, each had eight points in the opening frame, with Gilligan also adding five rebounds.
Holding the Express sharp-shooting offence to only 26 points, the Five were up by eight, 34-26, after the opening quarter.
Gilligan picked up another nine points in the second quarter, while Grandy Glaze came off the bench to add seven points and four rebounds. But the Express got going in the second, too, led by guard Ryan Anderson who had 10 points, while Illinois native Reggie Hamilton added eight of this own.
As the first half ended, the Five were down by four, 64-60.
The Five moved to shut down the the Express offence in the third quarter, limiting Windsor's shooting percentages to to 26.1 per cent from the field, and 30 per cent from three-point range. The Five's Braylon Rayson, a long way from his home in Dallas, Tex., had eight points in the quarter, with Williams Jr. adding seven points of his own.
The Five regained the lead in the quarter, 94-86.
In the final frame, the Express cut the Five lead down to just three points within the first two minutes. Fortunately, Rayson and Williams Jr. continued their strong performance, with Rayson picking up 11 points in the fourth and Williams Jr. earning nine points, as well as three steals.
The Express cut the Five lead to two points with just under two minutes to play, but a timely steal from Williams Jr. that earned Sudbury two points sealed the deal. Final score 123-121.
Braylon Rayson led the way for the Five with 25 points, with Williams Jr. earning 24 of his own. North York, ON native Grandy Glaze had his fourth double-double of the season finishing the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Five now shift their attention to the south, as they travel to Kitchener to take on the KW Titans on Thursday, before returning home to the Sudbury Arena for a double-header on Saturday and Sunday.
