Four St. John's Edge players put up atleast 20-points Wednesday night as the team swept their first round series with a 124-117 victory over the Windsor Express at the WFCU Centre. The Edge, playing their first playoff series in their inaugural season won both games this past weekend in St. John's and were the only team to sweep their first round matchup.
Windsor did not go quietly as the team jumped out to a 33-21 lead at the end of the first quarter, including a 7-and-0 run in the last minute of the quarter. The Express led by as much as 13-points in the second quarter before the Edge began to claw their way back.
Charles Hinkle took control of the game for the Edge in the second quarter as he poured in 11 of his team-high 24 points in the second frame to bring St. John's to within one point, trailing 59-58 at the half.
At halftime the message to the Edge was simple, "shoot the ball, make each shot count" and the Edge did just that as the team exploded for 44 points to lead by 16 points heading into the fourth.
The Express made a push in the final quarter but it was not enough as Carl English dribbled out the clock to push St. John's into the second round.
Player Performance
St. John's Edge:
Charles Hinkle led the Edge with a team-high 24 points, including 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Carl English finished with 21 points, adding 4 rebounds. Defensively, Wally Ellenson chipped in with one block.
Windsor Express:
Maurice Jones put up a game-high 37 points for Windsor with 6 assists. Logan Stutz put up 19 points for Windsor accompanied by 7 rebounds.
Inside the Numbers
St. John's shot 19-for-19 (100 percent) from the free-throw line, the club also scored 41 points off the bench. The Express went 41-for-76 (54 percent) from the field-goal line and scored 48 points inside the paint.
Up Next
The St. John's Edge will enjoy a few days off as the team awaits the winner of the Niagara River Dogs and London Lightning series. The Edge second round series will be a best-of-7 series.
Edge Playoff Tickets are now available and can be purchased in person at the Mile One Centre box office, by phone at 709-576-7657 or online at www.mileonecentre.com. Group rates are available and can be obtained by contacting Kenny O'Leary at Kenny@sjedge.ca.
