Pro hockey won’t be returning to Mile One Centre for another six months, but patrons of the downtown St. John’s rink Sunday evening got a glimpse into some testy, physical play … at a basketball game.
The homestanding Edge upended the Windsor Express 119-107 to grab a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five opening-round National Basketball League of Canada playoff series, a game that kept the refs busy from the get-go.
When it was all said and done, the Express were slapped with 30 fouls, while the Edge picked up 27. Included was a fourth-quarter technical foul to Windsor coach Bill Jones, who was teed-up less than a minute after receiving a warning for walking half-way across the floor to question an official’s call.
“I take a lot of pride in rebounding and getting in there and mixing it up with guys,” said Grandy Glaze, the rugged 6-7 St. John’s forward, “but I think it was a little excessive on their part.
“But it’s the playoffs, and they’re trying to win, too. I’m sure it’s not personal.”
The win came two days after a 123-120 double overtime decision in Game 1 Friday night.
The series shifts to Windsor, Ont. Wednesday and, if necessary, Friday. If a fifth game is required, it will be played at Mile One next Sunday at 2 p.m.
“At the end of the day,” said Edge coach Jeff Dunlap, named the league’s executive of the year Friday, “I think they felt the need to roughhouse us a little bit to beat us.
“If they can get us to crack emotionally, that plays in their favour. I just told our guys that we need to be smart and solid. But you have to tough, too. You can’t cower to those tactics. You can lose your head, and for the most part we didn’t do that.”
NBL Canada MVP Carl English led the way for the Edge Sunday with 28 points, while Coron Williams scored 26, three off his season-high. Wally Ellenson chipped in 17 points, Desmond Lee with 16, Charles Hinkle with 14 and Glaze with a dozen.
“I think they felt the need to roughhouse us a little bit to beat us. If they can get us to crack emotionally, that plays in their favour. I just told our guys that we need to be smart and solid. But you have to tough, too. You can’t cower to those tactics. You can lose your head, and for the most part we didn’t do that.”
St. John’s Edge head coach Jeff Dunlap
Lee also picked up 11 rebounds for the double-double.
“No question,” Dunlap said, “we have depth on this team, and now you have Wally and Coron firing away the last two games (16 and 15 points respectively Friday).
“If I can have that luxury to go to the bench and play those kind of people big minutes, it allows me to rest Hinkle and Carl more, and that’s incredibly valuable.”
“That’s one of the things that JD preaches,” said Williams, “to beat them with our depth every night.
“We have anybody who can go out and play any given night. Xavier (Ford) can go out and give you 20. Wally can go out and give you 20. Des can give you 20. Carl and Hinkle can give you 30. Alex (Johnson) can go.
“We can bring it with different guys.”
Maurice Jones, the 5-7 dynamo, had 19 points for Windsor, along with Chad Frazier.
In the other three playoff series, defending champion London Lightning leads the Niagara River Lions 2-1, the Island Storm from P.E.I. and Halifax Hurricanes are tied 1-1, and the Moncton Magic have a 1-0 series lead on the Saint John Riptide. Game 2 of that series goes today.
