GREATER SUDBURY, Ont. — The St. John’s Edge have to be glad to have seen the end of the road.
The Edge finished up the away portion of their 2018-19 National Basketball League of Canada regular-season schedule Monday night, losing 116-111 to the Sudbury Five.
It was the seventh straight road loss for the Edge (17-15), including four on an Ontario trip that wrapped up with their first visit to Sudbury.
On Monday, St. John’s carried an 11-point lead into halftime despite the absence of big man Glen Davis, sidelined with a stomach ailment, and the Edge were up by as many as 17 in the third quarter, but the expansion Five (17-16) chipped away at the margin and eventually moved in front midway through the fourth. Olu Ashaolu moved into the starting lineup for St. John’s and had 27 points and 13 points, both game highs, while Shaquille Keith added 22 points.
Desmond Lee and Jaren Nickens, the latter off the bench, each contributed 17 points to the cause for the Edge, who were also without guard Jarryn Skeete (concussion).
Former St. John’s guard Maurice Jones led Sudbury with 23 points, while Travis Releford added 22.
The Edge return home to begin a massive eight-game season-ending home stand at Mile One Centre, where they are 8-4 on the season. First up among the March visitors are the Cape Breton Highlanders, here for games Sunday afternoon and next Monday night.
The result in Sudbury adds to what’s become a logjam in the NBLC’s Central Division standings, with four teams — the Windsor Express (16-14), Edge, London Lightning (18-16) and Five separated by 18/100ths of a point when it comes to winning percentage.
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