HIGHLANDERS HOLD ON
Highlanders hang on for win over visiting Riptide
Cape Breton Highlanders down Saint John Riptide for their third-straight win.
The Cape Breton Highlanders’ push for a spot in the National Basketball League of Canada playoffs got a boost on Sunday, as they hung on for a 91-89 win over the Saint John Riptide at Centre 200.
The victory was the thirdstraight for the Highlanders, who sit in the fourth and final playoff spot in the five-team Atlantic Division with a 14-23 record. The Moncton Miracles are in fifth place at 13-25 after a loss to the division-leading Halifax Hurricanes on Sunday.
The Highlanders trailed for most of the first quarter, but Austin Witter drained a halfcourt shot at the buzzer to put his team up 24-23. The home team never trailed in the game after that, and led by as many as 12 points.
“That was a great shot and it energized the crowd, too,” Cape Breton head coach Ben Resner said of Witter’s buzzer beater. His team held a 54-44 lead at the half.
But the Riptide didn’t make it easy on the Highlanders. The visitors fought back and with 13 seconds to go in the game, Alex Campbell sunk a pair of free throws to bring his team within a bucket of tying it. Saint John inbounded the ball in the Cape Breton end, but the Highlanders weathered the storm as time expired.
Booker Woodfox paced Cape Breton’s offence with a gamehigh 26 points, shooting 5-for10 from beyond the arc. Clinton Springer followed with 19 points, while Chad Frazier scored 15 and Billy Rush chipped in 11. Austin Witter was strong on the glass, gobbling up 13 rebounds.
“We’re on a good little run right now,” said Woodfox. “We know we’re right there in the thick of things for the playoffs. Everybody’s competing. All the guys are ready to just compete.
“This was one we really needed. We knew coming into this game that they had guys who haven’t played as much and they want to show what they can do, so it was a fight.”
Chris Commons led the Riptide with 24 points and 16 boards, while Aaron Brown had 22, Alex Campbell scored 19 and Olumuyiwa Famutimi added 13.
Playing in their final game of the regular season, the secondplace Riptide (22-18) rested the league’s leading scorer Anthony Anderson in preparation for the
playoffs.
“We got some good looks tonight that didn’t fall, but that team over there fought really hard without some of their top guys and we knew they were going to come in and play a great game, and they did,” said Resner. “They gave us a great challenge and we’re fortunate to come out plus one.”
Cape Breton has three games remaining in the regular season, including two against Moncton.
The Highlanders and Miracles play Wednesday in Moncton, and Friday at Centre 200. A win in either game will clinch a playoff spot for Cape Breton.
They’ll conclude the schedule on Sunday against the Island Storm of Charlottetown. All games begin at 7 p.m.