St. John’s, NL: The Newfoundland Rogues dropped their final game of the season 105-100 to the Windsor Express on Saturday night. This victory secures Windsor’s spot as the top team in the Basketball Super League while the Rogues finish in seventh, just missing out on the playoffs.
Eight days ago, the Rogues were given a near impossible task. To make the playoffs they would have to win their last four games in a row. After picking up wins in their final two road games, the Rogues had to beat the top ranked Express in back-to-back nights at home. Once the Rogues won the first game of the series on Friday, a bench-clearing brawl ensued. In the aftermath of “Malice at the Mary”, three Windsor players (Sam Muldrow, Zavier Turner, Cameron Gaines) and two Rogues players (Jakorie Smith, Anthony Lefeau) were suspended for the rematch set to take place 24 hours later. This verdict sent shockwaves across the Basketball Super League world as many felt the Rogues were being unfairly punished for their role in the brawl.
The two sides tipped-off before a packed Mary Brown’s Centre crowd looking to spur their home team to victory. Both teams looked even through the first two quarters with Windsor holding a two point lead heading into halftime. Once the two sides came back out from their 15-minute break, things got ugly for the Rogues. Windsor would go on to win the third quarter by a 12-point margin with Lydell Elmore (F) playing a key role in a dominating third frame display. With their backs against the wall, the Rogues kept pushing and pushing, eventually cutting the Windsor lead to just three points. In the end, the Rogues just couldn’t get the final defensive stop they needed, succumbing to an extremely controversial Express lineup. The fans at the Mary Brown’s centre gave their beloved ballers one last standing ovation before the boys headed down the tunnel with their heads held high. The Express were led by double-double performances from Vincent Boumann (C), Lydell Elmore (F) and Latin David (G) while star guard Tarkus Ferguson picked the first Rogues triple-double in over 400 days (33 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists)
While the result means that Coach Reece Gaines’ Rogues side will miss out on the Basketball Super League playoffs for the first time in franchise history, the team can still be very proud of all that they accomplished. In a season with ups, downs and everything in between, the Rogues kept the fighting spirit right until the bitter end. Peter Easton and crew will have to wait until next season to set sail once more and exact their revenge.
Photo credit: Joe Chase