Express get back on track in tight win
It was important for the Windsor Express to get back on the winning track.
Trying to claw back into the NBL of Canada playoff picture, the Express had its season-high, threegame winning streak come to the end on the road.
Hoping to avoid another losing streak, the Express found just enough offence to make it four wins in five games with a 108-104 win over the Cape Breton Highlanders before a crowd of 650 at the WFCU Centre on Wednesday. “That’s what we want,” Express head coach Bill Jones said. “This is a good way to gauge what type of team we are by going against the top teams in our league. What we’ve got to do is continue to play.” With it, the Express (6-8) scored wins over the top two teams in the Atlantic Division in the past week. “Ultimately, I think we’re improving. We just have to keep the positive energy going,” Express guard Ryan Anderson said. Windsor jumped to a 10-point lead in the opening quarter, but Jones had to continue to go back to his starting units when the backups faltered and allowed the Highlanders back in the game.
“It was tough out there,” Jones said. “You want to play your reserves, with three games in four nights, but you have to hold the lead. Our starters came back in and controlled.” Windsor held a seven-point lead after three quarters, but Cape Breton opened the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run to lead by three. After a timeout, the Express reeled off 10-straight points to restore the lead and Anderson’s three-point shot put Windsor up for good.
“We’ve got to finish these games when we’re up six-to-eight points,” Anderson said. “They made some tough shots, but we had the lead a couple of times there.” Anderson finished with a gamehigh 34 points while fellow starters Tyrrrel Tate had 17, Juan Pattillo finished with 16 and 13 rebounds and Horace Wormely added 13 points. Chris Jones had 15 points off the bench and DeAndre Thomas finished with 13 points against the Highlanders (11-7).
With home games on Friday and Saturday, the Express are looking for another three-game winning streak to get the team to .500 for the first time this season. “We’re chipping away at (the standings) slowly,” Anderson said. “We have a chance to win the next two and be 8-8 and that’ll put us with London and K-W. We’ll all be right there and I’m excited about that.”
It was tough out there. You want to play your reserves, with three games in four nights, but you have to hold the lead.