BRAMPTON, Ont. - In a back-and-forth thriller that featured 11 ties and nine lead changes - and where neither team held more than a seven-point lead - the Sheridan Bruins men's basketball team (21-5, 12-2 OCAA) made just enough plays down the stretch to clip Lambton 110-106.
"Lambton is going to be a very tough out for anybody in the post-season," head coach Jim Flack said. "They're big, they're experienced, and they can shoot. Luckily we were able to get hot in the fourth quarter to stretch out [our lead] a little bit and get the win. That's all that matters at this time of year."
It was a quick pace from the outset, with both teams looking to push the ball, resulting in a high-scoring first quarter where a 7-0 run to close the frame gave the Bruins a narrow 29-28 edge.
The second quarter featured three lead changes and three ties, with Lambton clinging to a 51-47 advantage at the half.
With just over three minutes remaining in the third period Lambton took their largest lead of the night (70-64) after a pair of triples from Branden Padgett on back-to-back possessions.
A 13-7 Sheridan run over the remaining 3:16 trimmed the deficit to one, 77-76, entering the final quarter.
The Bruins took their largest lead of the night (90-83) with just over seven minutes remaining, when John Avery knocked down a pair of perimeter jumpers in a 23-second span.
Lambton would battle back to tie, but the game took a critical turn in favour of the Double Blue with just under three minutes to play.
Tied at 97, Carlo Dubria banked-in a 3-ball, then laid in another pair to stretch the margin back to five, after Nick Campbell forced a quick turnover.
Although Lambton made it interesting in the final moments - including a made 3-pointer with 3 seconds remaining - Sheridan was able to seal the win.
Six Bruins were in double figures, led by Campbell (22) and followed by Dubria (16), AJ Thompson (15), Avery (14), Jemol Edwards (13), and Terrell Carr (10).
They have another tough contest looming with a trip to Niagara (10-4) on Jan. 31.
�� sequence: back-to-back ��'s from @_CDubria3 and a �� from @LakeSplash27 helped secure victory for men's ��. pic.twitter.com/ePCJiBYfdt
— Sheridan Bruins (@sheridanbruins) January 28, 2018
