Lightning Take it to the Edge and Win in Overtime
Wednesday, January 17, 2018 (London, ON) – The London Lightning used a strong fourth quarter to come from behind to force overtime and beat the St. John's Edge 121-115. The win moves the Lightning into first place in the league with a 13-5 record, including an 11-game winning streak.
Head Coach, Keith Vassell, acknowledged that the fourth quarter is where things changed "We played hard, we started to look to trap and created a lot of pressure. It didn't result in direct steals but it definitely impacted the way they got their shots up, we were able to rebound better when that happened and were able to turn it around. Once the defense clicked we had a chance. We made plays when it counted." While the 11 game winning-streak is nice coach believes it is not important. "We take it one game at a time, we can count it [wins] at the end of the season. It is irrelevant, as that is not our main goal. We have to take it one day, one game, one quarter at a time."
Composure and team play were key reasons the Lightning turned things around in the second half. Doug Herring Jr. lead the way, staying calm and while pushing the ball. He hit a runner in the key in the dying seconds of regulation to tie the game at 103. "I just tried to stay focused and knock down as many shots as I can. The last one tonight I knew we were down 2, I had to try and get in the paint and either draw a foul or try and finish. We had to stay mentally tough and focused and tried to grind it out and make a come back. We were able to do it and force over time again, which we have been doing that a lot lately. We executed the way we should have in regulation and pulled off a win."
The Lightning trailed the Edge for a majority of the game. Key performances from Herring Jr. (21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals, and 11 for 12 from the free throw line), Garrett Williamson (23 points, 10 of 12 from the floor) and Kirk Williams Jr. (10 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists) along with lock down defense in the fourth propelled the Lightning to the win.
The London Lightning are on the road for two games on the east coast this weekend, Friday and Sunday, stay tuned to www.lightningbasketball.ca for live streams and updates. The next Lightning home game is Thursday, February 1st at seven PM against the Windsor Express. Tickets are available at www.lightningbasketball.ca or the Budweiser Gardens Box Office.
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