NOT MEANT TO BE
Highlanders eliminated from playoff contention with loss to Miracles
The Cape Breton Highlanders won’t make the playoffs.
The inaugural season of the Cape Breton Highlanders won’t see the team play in this year’s National Basketball League of Canada playoffs.
The Highlanders were defeated 101-99 by the Moncton Miracles in front of 1,685 fans at Centre 200 on Friday. With the loss, the Cape Breton squad was officially eliminated from playoff contention.
Cape Breton (14-25) had an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot on Wednesday in Moncton, but suffered a 112-90 loss to the Miracles (15-25), who with the win on Friday clinch the final playoff spot in the Atlantic division.
Highlanders head coach Ben Resner said Friday’s loss was a tough one for his team.
“It was a war tonight, both teams playing for that last playoff spot and we came up a play short,” he said.
Cape Breton held a two-point lead after the first quarter, leading 20-18. The team continued to find the basket, scoring another 20 points in the second quarter to take a 40-37 lead into halftime.
The Miracles fought back, dropping 35 points in the third quarter to take a 72-66 lead.
Moncton held a 12-point lead with 3:23 to play in the final quarter, before back-to-back three pointers by the Highlanders pulled the team to within two, making the score 95-93, and forcing the Miracles to use a time out.
With the Miracles up 99-96 late in the game, Cape Breton’s Clinton Springer had a chance to tie the game with a threepointer with four seconds to
play, but came up short, leading to Moncton’s win.
Malik Story led the offense for the Miracles, dropping a gamehigh 27 points in the win. Tim Mitchell had 18 points, while Melvin Johnson III and Tydran Beaty each added 13 points.
Charles Mann Jr. powered the offense for the Highlanders with 23 points. Chad Frazier scored 18 points, and Booker Woodfox chipped in with 17 points.
Resner said despite the loss, the team isn’t ready to focus on next season yet, but on finishing the regular season.
“I just want to focus on Sunday, we have another game,” he said. “P.E.I. is another playoff team, so it would be great to
finish the season on a high note with a win against them.”
The Highlanders will wrap up the season on home court on Sunday, hosting the Island Storm (16-23) at 3 p.m. at Centre
200. Cape Breton last played the Storm on April 21 in Sydney, defeating the Charlottetownbased team 120-110.