EXPRESS RALLY TO DEEP-SIX FIVE
Windsor comes back and downs Sudbury with stars Anderson and Pattillo on bench
The Windsor Express showed Wednesday that the club might be a little deeper overall than people think.
Down eight points with under eight minutes to play, the Express went to a small lineup and used three bench players to rally for a 119-114 win over the Sudbury Five in NBL of Canada action before a crowd of 1,405 at the WFCU Centre.
“I think we’re getting better as the second group,” Express guard Chris Jones said. “More guys are starting to get their legs under them and letting their shots flow.” Even more impressive was the club completed the comeback with stars Ryan Anderson and Juan Pattillo on the bench. “Sometimes people get hurt, sometimes a coach makes a sub that works,” Jones said. Windsor fired out of the gate with the game’s first nine points and built a 13-point lead in the second quarter at 36-23, but the Five rallied. “It was a struggle because (the Five) do a heck of a job rebounding offensively,” said Express associate head coach Aaron McDonald, who handled the bench with head coach Bill Jones out with an illness.
“They crash the glass and they’re active. It was difficult for us to really get a body on them, block them out and drive them back.”
Down six points with less than five minutes to play, McDonald opted to keep Pattillo and Anderson on the bench and the Express went on a 15-0 run to take a 114105 lead with 30 seconds to play. “I felt we had a rhythm going,” McDonald said. “I felt we’re being very competitive at both ends, offensively and defensively, that I could rest him (Pattillo and sit Anderson). “Everyone’s been going small lately. We just tried to match up and it speaks to our depth.” But six-foot-nine veteran DeAndre Thomas was huge picking up minutes for Pattillo along with centre Ty Walker, who was battling the flu.
“I’m just doing my job,” said Thomas, who finished with 22 point in 25 minutes. “I pray (Pattillo’s injury) ain’t nothing. I hope he just tweaked it a little, but when he goes down it’s next man up and it’s my turn. Whenever I get minutes, I get minutes and do what I have to do.”
Jones led the offence for Windsor with 26 points while Anderson finished with 24 points with 21 points coming in the first half. Pattillo had 17 points while Horace Wormely chipped in with 14 points.
“Them guys can play man,” Thomas said of the bench. “Everybody in this locker-room can play from the first man to the 12th man. “(Sudbury’s) under us, so we just have to keep them there. I think we’re third overall now and we just have to keep trying to get wins.”
At 15-12, the Express have a full game lead on Sudbury, which is 15-14, and now head to St. John’s to play two games against the Central Division-leading Edge, who are 15-11.
“You have to get the ones at home,” said Jones, whose team has won nine-straight games at the WFCU Centre. “You’ve got to protect your home court every night and then try to get a couple on the road.”