The Saskatchewan Rattlers snapped their five-game losing streak and won for the first time on home court on Thursday night with a 96-89 win over the Calgary Surge.
A game-winning trifecta from Nate Pierre-Louis secured the win for the Rattlers.
Three long-range connections in Target Score Time, including the game-winner from Pierre-Louis, propelled Saskatchewan to the 96-89 win over the Calgary Surge at SaskTel Centre.
After the game, Pierre-Louis said he wanted to give the Saskatchewan fans everything they deserve.
“We had a different energy about us in shoot around [and] these last couple weeks of practice. We’ve just been so close to winning games, and today was a game – we grinded it out … we've been doing this every single game. It's been a grind,” Pierre-Louis said.
Saskatchewan has now won both meetings with the 8-4 Calgary this season, defeating the Surge by three points on the road on June 6.
Pierre-Louis paced the Rattlers’ offence with a game-high 28 points to go along with five assists.
Starters Jordan Bowden, Isaac Simon and Grant Anticevich carried the rest of the offensive load for Saskatchewan. Bowden netted 23 points – including 16 at halftime – while Simon added 15 and Anticevich chipped in 12.
Saskatchewan head coach Eric Magdanz said the squad has stayed consistent and stayed together throughout the year despite some tough losses.
“It’s pretty special [to get the first home win]. It’s obviously my first win here, and to be able to do it in front of my family and a lot of people who I know – to see the excitement and joy in the crowd – I think that’s why we do it,” Magdanz said.
For Calgary, the high-powered trio of Greg Brown III, Jameer Nelson Jr. and Sean Miller-Moore led the way again. Brown III tallied a team-high 22 points and eight rebounds, while Nelson Jr. and Miller-Moore scored 19 and 13, respectively.
The Rattlers’ effectiveness on the glass made the difference in the contest. Saskatchewan outrebounded Calgary 50-41 and snagged 17 offensive boards on their way to a 17-5 advantage in second-chance points.
“We played in stretches, but they did a good job of crashing the glass, and they beat us on the boards, and I think that dictated the game,” Calgary head coach Kaleb Canales said.
Brown III said the Surge failed to make key stops late in the game and weren’t good enough on the glass.
“They played their game. We didn't play hard. We didn't come and play physically. They came and rebounded and did everything right,” Brown III said.
The Surge now trail the 8-3 Bandits and are in second place in the Western Conference standings, just one game after defeating Vancouver and claiming the top spot.
In the first quarter, Miller-Moore opened the scoring for Calgary with a historic bucket. “Rugzy’s” strong take to the hoop marked 1,000 all-time regular season points for the CEBL veteran. Miller-Moore reached the 1,000-point milestone for regular season and playoffs against Vancouver earlier in the season.
Calgary continued to attack the paint in the opening frame and seized an early lead. The Surge's big three of Nelson Jr., Brown III, and Miller-Moore all contributed, and the team shot 57 percent to go ahead 28-21 after 10 minutes.
The Surge built on their lead in the second with more efficient shooting, extending the advantage to as much as 12. However, the Rattlers were resilient. Led by Bowden and Pierre-Louis, Saskatchewan climbed back to tie the game with less than 30 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Brown III broke the tie at the charity stripe on the final possession, taking Calgary into the locker room with a 51-49 lead.
To begin the third quarter, Brown III had his athleticism on full display with a windmill dunk on offence and a massive rejection on defence. Still, Saskatchewan found its rhythm from mid-range thanks to Pierre-Louis and snagged the lead for the first time since the first quarter.
The Western Conference rivals exchanged leads five times in the third, including a buzzer-beating transition layup from Simon that gave Saskatchewan a 72-71 advantage after 30 minutes.
Saskatchewan earned its biggest lead of the game at six points after a Pierre-Louis field goal and one in the fourth, but Calgary returned to tie it again.
A contested finish for Bowden put the Rattlers ahead by two before Target Score Time, and the home team made quick work from there. Anticevich, Bowden and Pierre-Louis all connected from beyond the arc to secure the much-needed win on home court.
Up next:
Saskatchewan faces another team near the top of the Western Conference with a trip to Vancouver on Saturday.
