FINISHING STRONG
Highlanders end season with win over Storm
The Cape Breton Highlanders wrapped up their inaugural season in the National Basketball League of Canada with a win, defeating the visiting Island Storm of Charlottetown 104-102 at Centre 200 on Sunday.
Deronn Scott fired 29 points in the victory, shooting 11-for17 from the floor and knocking down a couple of three-pointers. He also added 11 assists and came close to completing a triple-double with eight rebounds.
Billy Rush followed with 27 points and 11 boards, while Anthony Walker scored 17. Clinton Springer chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds and Sefton Barrett rounded out the balanced attack with 11 points.
Al Stewart replied with a game-high 31 points and 10 rebounds for the Storm. Al Richter netted 10, Sammy Zeglinksi scored 14 and Rashad Whack added 13. Mike Allison chipped in 10 points.
At halftime, Cape Breton
held at 59-45 leads.
The Highlanders finished the season last in the five-team Atlantic Division with a 15-25
record. The Moncton Miracles had an identical record, but clinched a playoff berth by virtue of winning the season series
with Cape Breton.
The Miracles will face the first-place Halifax Hurricanes (27-13) in the best-of-five
opening round series, while the second-place Saint John Riptide (22-18) play the thirdplace Storm (16-24).
In the league’s Central Division, the first-place London Lightning (35-5) take on the fourth-place Orangeville A’s (16-24), while the second-place Windsor Express (21-18) take on the third-place Kitchener-Waterloo Titans (18-21).