Sudbury Five’s Superhero Night stalled by Windsor’s second-half surge

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The Sudbury Five could not contain a potent Windsor Express attack, falling 120-107 on ‘Superhero Night’ Saturday at a festive Sudbury Community Arena.

A crowd of 1,796 fans, many dressed as their favourite heroes, watched the home side build an early lead that ultimately dissolved against a relentless Windsor offence.

Heroic start

The evening began with promise as the Five looked to claim another victory over their rivals in last year’s Basketball Super League finals, who were coming off two road losses, following last weekend’s win over the Montreal Toundra.

The Five players took the court for warm-ups wearing capes, embracing the superhero theme and looked the part early, leading 30-24 after the first quarter despite the notable absence of their former top scorer Keyshawn Bryant – who contributed 63 points in the team’s first two games before being signed by the NBA G League’s Windy City Bulls earlier in the week.

“We’ll miss you and your glass-smashing abilities,” the team said on Jan. 7.

Sudbury maintained a 59-54 advantage at halftime.

“The enemy is putting up a decent fight,” the team wrote on social media at the break.

Playing through adversity

The story changed in the third quarter. The Express, led by Latin Davis and Shadell Millinghaus – who each finished with 28 points – found another gear. Windsor shot a blistering 58.3 per cent from the field in the frame, outscoring Sudbury 37-25 to take a 91-84 lead.

The Five’s shooting cooled considerably after the break. After hitting 45 per cent of their shots in the first half, they managed only 26.1 per cent in the third and 30.4 per cent in the fourth. The team also struggled from deep, finishing 8-for-29 (27.6 per cent) from three-point range.

Charlie Marquardt led the Five with 27 points. Duane Notice added 20 and Alex Kotov recorded a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Windsor’s bench, however, was the decisive factor, outscoring Sudbury’s reserves 51-17.

Reflective finish

As the final buzzer sounded on the 120-107 defeat, the team’s social media offered a poignant, if defeated, caption to the night.

“‘You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain,’” the team wrote on social media, quoting the Batman villain Two-Face in The Dark Knight movie.

Looking ahead

The Five (2-1) now look to regroup on the road, facing the Erie Lake Jackals in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday. The team defeated the Jackals 126-114 in their season opener on Dec. 29.