LIGHTNING CONTINUE TO BE THE TEAM TO BEAT THIS YEAR
London beats Windsor for the sixth time in seven meetings this season, 109-96
The Windsor Express would like to believe the club is capable of challenging the London Lightning for a Central Division title.
To do that, and have a chance to record a third NBL of Canada title, the Express need to elevate their game.
The two met for the final time in the regular season on Sunday at the WFCU Centre. For the sixth time in seven meetings this season, the Lightning walked off with a victory. London won 109-96.
“You could see why they’re the best team in our league,” Express head coach Bill Jones said.
“We played them even at half and then, in the second half, they took it to another gear and we weren’t able to go up to that gear.”
There is no question that when these two teams meet, it’s a must-see game.
“It’s definitely different when you’re part of Windsor than when I was part of Niagara,” said Logan Stutz, who is three games into his career with the Express.
Two of those games have been against London. “It’s definitely more intense. It’s a lot that people are playing for.”
The Express halted London’s bid for a third title in 2014 only to see the Lightning end Windsor’s bid for a third straight title last season.
“That’s our rival team,” Express veteran guard Tony Bennett said. “It’s fun. It’s basketball. “It’s like being home in Chicago in the summertime and kind of seeing the same faces over and over.
“You’re familiar and it kind of becomes a challenge. You know what the player can do and you know what a team can do, and it comes down to you executing and stopping it.”
Tied 49-49 at the half Sunday, the Lightning outscored the Express 60-47 in the second half to win the game handily.
“They were playing real physical up on our players and I don’t think we were doing the little things like screening for each other,” Bennett said.
“It was just the little things we didn’t execute on and we didn’t catch our rhythm.
“We kind of stayed at the same pace the whole game.”
Warren Ward led the Express with 24 points. Stutz finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds while Shaquille Keith chipped in with 12 points.
With three games left in the season, Windsor is still in a fight to secure second place in the division and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
“Our goal is to keep winning, win the firs t round and see (the Lightning) in the second round and win that, too,” Stutz said.
But the head coach is quick to note that’s a long way off.
“We’re on a crash course,” Jones said of his team and the Lightning. “As long as we take care of business, we’ll meet again, but that’s a long way away.”
You know what the player can do and you know what a team can do, and it comes down to you executing and stopping it.