Edge Claim First Central Division Title, Book Ticket to NBL Canada Final
St. John’s, NL – The St. John’s Edge are your Central Division Champions. The Edge defeated the KW Titans at Mile One Centre by a score of 108-100 to claim their spot in the NBL Canada Championship.
This was crucial for the Edge, after a big Game 5 win in Kitchener they were looking to put this one to bed and move on to their first NBL Canada Finals in franchise history.
The first quarter was very tight, the Edge and Titans would exchange buckets throughout, with the Titans grabbing a 5 point lead after Derek Hall drained a three at the 4:46 mark of the quarter. The Edge would answer back and bring the game to within one possession after Jared Nickens hit a triple from the corner.
Carl English would drill a corner three of his own with less than a minute left in the quarter, but the Titans would respond with an Ashton Smith layup to send this one into the second with the Titans in front 36-33.
Into the second, it was all KW to start as they put together a quick little 5-0 run to extend their lead. The Edge would answer back and take their lead back when Jarryn Skeete cut to the hoop for the layup to put the Edge in front by just a single point.
Following a little stretch with no scoring by either side, the Edge would pick up the pace and control the tempo down the stretch. After an Isaiah Tate II three-point play, they would get a Murphy Burnatowski bucket, followed by a Jarryn Skeete layup to end the half. The Edge would be in control of this one, leading 57-53.
Coming out of the break, St. John’s was able to pick up right where they left off with a couple of quick baskets and capping off the first few minutes with a Murphy Burnatowski slam.
The Titans would make a push to get back into this one at around the 3-minute mark of the quarter. They would cut into the Edge lead on the strength of a layup by Derek Hall and a couple of free-throws by Akeem Ellis, reducing the deficit to just 10. The Edge would answer back, but again the Titans would head to the free-throw line and convert to send this one into the fourth with the Edge leading 83-75.
The final quarter was filled with excitement. First, the Titans would tie this one up with 4:05 left in the game. They would be buoyed by some sharp shooting by Joel Friesen and some good inside play by Akeem Ellis.
After the Titans took the lead on a Derek Hall layup, the Edge had the answer in the form of Glen Davis who dropped another one of his signature spin move layups on the inside. Jarryn Skeete would then head to the line to put the Edge in front by two, they then got the huge stop when Glen Davis blocked Damon Lynn to force the turnover.
The Edge would feed Glen Davis two more times in the post to seal the deal and take this one by a score of 108-100 and book their ticket to NBL Canada Finals.
On this night, the Edge finished with 6 players in double figures, with Glen Davis leading the way with 31 points and pulling down 8 boards. Dez Lee recorded the double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Jarryn Skeete was 1 assist and 1 rebound shy of the triple-double.
For the Titans, they were led by Akeem Ellis who dropped 25 points in the Game 6 loss.
The Edge now must wait for their opponent as the Moncton Magic and Halifax Hurricanes battle in Game 7 on Sunday afternoon. No matter the outcome, the Edge will start the finals on the road as both teams have a better regular season record than the Edge.
Stay tuned to www.sjedge.ca for an update of the schedule once it is available. Tickets for the NBL Canada Finals will go on sale early this week and the dates will be determined in the meantime. Once on sale, you can get your tickets by calling 576-7657 or online at www.mileonecentre.com.
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Noah Anderson
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St. John’s Edge
(289)214-8936