Sudbury Five bounce back with 116-90 statement win over Montreal Toundra

Sudbury Five captain Duane Notice and head coach Joey Puddister credit a focus on accountability and film work for their bounce-back win.

The Sudbury Five entered Thursday’s contest against the Montreal Toundra needing a reset after back-to-back losses to the Basketball Super League’s top team, the KW Titans.

The team found it in emphatic fashion, defeating the third-place Toundra 116-90 at the Sudbury Community Arena before an announced crowd of more than 1,250.

The victory improved Sudbury’s record to 16-8 while Montreal fell to 15-10. The game marked the first of three home contests in four days to close out the regular season for the Five.

Response to adversity

Coming off a loss where players and staff felt they had not played to their potential, the response was immediate and sustained. Sudbury outscored Montreal 35-17 in the second quarter and 36-22 in the third, building a lead that allowed the Five to manage minutes with a busy schedule ahead.

Head coach Joey Puddister credited the players for taking ownership of the preparation following the previous defeat.

“In the locker room for an hour after the last loss, guys watching film on their own, together as a team, us as a team, and really just proud of the way we responded,” Puddister said in the post-game press conference.

Puddister pointed to the leadership group, including Duane Notice, for setting the tone.

“Our response to adversity is unmatched, and that comes from our leadership with our guys,” Puddister said. “Dwayne, he’s more of a lead by example guy, but the rare times that he does speak up, people really listen because of that.”

Notice leads the way

Notice finished with 12 points on 3-for-4 shooting from three-point range, adding three assists in 30 minutes. Following the game, he wore a Sudbury Wolves jersey at the podium, referencing the city’s concurrent playoff push as their OHL franchise is battling it out in the first round.

“It’s March, so you got to get ready for the playoffs,” Notice said. “March Madness just reminds me of being in school. Peaking at the right time, not panicking, having a chance to respond after losing a game previously. So thought we all came together, battled through adversity, and made the right adjustments today.”

Notice emphasized the importance of accountability following the losses to KW.

“I think for us, just being accountable,” he said. “We all know that we can play better, and we’ve got to be consistent in that effort. And so for us, watching a lot of film, but also being able to communicate with each other, one of the best things I’ve been on in terms of relationships, everybody likes each other.”

Balanced attack

Charlie Marquardt led all scorers with 22 points, connecting on 4-of-7 from three-point range. Devante Jamison added 12 points and a game-high eight assists off the bench.

The Five placed seven players in double figures, with bench production outpacing Montreal’s reserves 58-56. Cecil Lee, Michael Okafor and Guan Ziyu each contributed 12 points in reserve roles.

Notice said the deep rotation was a welcome development.

“There’s so many guys that put in so much work in behind the scenes that people don’t get to see,” Notice said. “Whenever you can hit a game where we could get out to a run like that and kind of dominate from the beginning, it obviously allows other guys to get more live reps. I think that’s great because we’re a team and these guys are very capable.”

Physical battle on the boards

Puddister identified rebounding and physicality as key areas of focus against a Montreal team he described as deep and physical. The Five matched the Toundra with 15 second-chance points apiece.

“That goes 1 through 12 on our roster,” Puddister said. “Everybody, that was a point of emphasis for everybody this week. Up 20, down 20, we’re driving that in.”

Montreal was led by Narcisse Kalamba’s 16 points off the bench. Ketarrious Bouchum added 10 points and seven rebounds for the Toundra.

Looking ahead

The two teams meet again Saturday in the second game of Sudbury’s three-game homestand. Notice said the Five expect a motivated opponent.

“Teams take it really personal the first time,” Puddister said. “It’s trying to continue that fire for 48 minutes, let alone two games in a row, tough task, but I think we’re up for it.”

Notice echoed the sentiment.

“Team gets embarrassed on the road,” he said. “They’re going to give their best effort the next game. And we’ve been in that situation before. We played Montreal and we lost the first game. We bounced back the second game. I think we have to recognize the approach might be different.”

The Five wrap their regular season Sunday afternoon against the BSL’s top team, the KW Titans.