LATE-GAME MELTDOWN, IFFY FOULS SINK EXPRESS
Even opposing Lightning coach calls refereeing ‘very inconsistent both ways’
Even the opposition head coach felt bad for the fate of the Windsor Express on Wednesday.
Windsor watched a 14-point lead disappear in the fourth quarter in a 125-121 loss to the London Lightning at the WFCU Centre in the National Basketball League of Canada game.
“It’s definitely frustrating,” Express forward Kirk Williams Jr. said. “It’s a frustrating thing when you’re supposed to win.”
Sure, the play of the Express in the final quarter played a role. After shooting 53.6 per cent from three-point range in the first three quarters, the club hit just one of nine attempts behind the arc in the final period.
However, it was a string of foul problems that also allowed the Lightning to get back into the game. The Express had just 16 fouls through the first three quarters, but took 11 in the final quarter. Centre Sam Muldrow fouled out and the Lightning enjoyed a 34-20 advantage in free-throw attempts, which aided the comeback.
“To be honest, I thought the game, both ways, I thought the refereeing was very inconsistent both ways,” said Lightning head coach Doug Plumb. “They (the Express) have just as much reason to be angry. It was crazy.”
Players are reluctant to talk about the officiating for fear of reprisal, but Plumb was open about his thoughts, including a late call that helped the Lightning seal the win.
“It was crazy,” Plumb said. “Even the foul they called at the end for us, that’s not a foul. In what world do you think that’s a foul?”
London came into the game having lost four straight games while the Express were riding a two-game winning streak — knowing a win would have pulled the team to within a game-anda-half of the Lightning for first place in the Central Division.
“It definitely brings the morale down and it hurts a little bit, especially being in the position that we were in,” Williams Jr. said.
“Fighting to get back to .500 and now going back below .500, that’s tough and now we have to play (the Lighting) Saturday at their place.”
All five Windsor starters finished in double figures. Quinnel Brown had 27 points, Chris Jones finished with 20, while Kemy Osse added 17, Muldrow finished with 15 and Williams Jr. added 13 points. Ryan Anderson, who was activated from the injury list before the game, came off the bench to score 12 points and Derrick Nix chipped in with 10.