Stingers Snap Losing Streak in Defensive 64-60 Victory Versus Alliance
Edmonton Stingers Break Three-Game Losing Streak and Defeat Montreal Alliance
The Edmonton Stingers edged out the Montréal Alliance 64-60 in a tight, defensive battle. The win snaps the Stingers’ three-game losing streak while the defeat extends the Alliance’s losing streak to four games.
Edmonton held a modest lead for most of the game before Montréal made a push in the fourth quarter and Elam time.
Edmonton’s Marlon Johnson opened the scoring with two quick baskets. Stingers forward Aher Uguak also had five early points while Johnson added to three to put them up 12-4.
Montréal responded by attacking the paint and getting to the foul line. Sherwood Brown and Alain Louis hit free throws as the home side trailed 14-10 at the end of the first quarter.
After going zero for six from threes to start the game, Dominic Green scored Montréal’s first three of the game. Demarco Dickerson took advantage of ball movement to respond with a three for Edmonton.
The Stingers answered the Alliance’s scoring by attacking inside. They outscored Montréal 12-6 in the paint by halftime as they led 28-20. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half as Edmonton shot 31 per cent to Montréal’s 25 per cent.
Alliance guard Hernst Laroche started the third quarter with a three. The home team trimmed the lead to three but Dickerson scored a pull up jumper on the next possession.
Montréal cut the lead to one thanks to a Kemy Osse three and then took the lead after Sherwood Brown knocked down a top of the key three. Meanwhile, Dickerson continued to be aggressive, driving the lane and scoring as Edmonton retook the lead 42-37 after three quarters with a 6-0 run.
The Stingers held on to their lead by getting inside. However, the Alliance kept the game close by also attacking the rim. They trailed 54-49 going into the Elam Ending.
The interior play continued in Elam time as Montréal’s Ashley Hamilton flushed down an open dunk before Edmonton’s Brody Clarke hit a three and guard Jahmal Jones finished a layup to extend the lead to 59-51. The Alliance missed some crucial free throws down the stretch but were able to cut it to two points after some defensive stops and layups by Hamilton and Nathan Cayo.
Jordan Baker and Ashley Hamilton traded threes. Another pair of missed free throws by Montréal didn’t help as Clarke grabbed an offensive rebound and put it in for the Stingers victory.
Cayo and Hamilton led the scoring for Montréal with 13 and 12 points. Edmonton’s forwards also played a big role with Dickerson (13 points), Johnson (12) and Uguak (10) as the leading scorers.
“We just played hard. It was a good game, a good team win and looking forward to keep building off of this,” Dickerson said. He also called it very important win. “It boasts our confidence on this three-game road trip,” he added.
The Alliance out-rebounded the league-leading Stingers 44-39 and were close in paint scoring. However, they shot 60 per cent from the free throw line compared to Edmonton’s 71 per cent.
“You can see they compete, they care,” Hamilton said about the team. “It’s just the little things. We’re losing close games. Some of these games could have easily gone our way…the talent is there to do it.”
The Stingers move to fifth in the standings at 5-4 while the Alliance remain in eighth at 3-6.
The Alliance go on the road next with the first of three straight road games against the Fraser Valley Bandits on June 24. The Stingers travel to face the Ottawa BlackJacks on June 23.
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