August 14, 2025
The Scarborough Shooting Stars dominate the Montreal Alliance in the Eastern conference play-in
The Eastern Conference play-in match between the Scarborough Shooting Stars and the visiting Montreal Alliance was always going to be a toughly contested match up, with everything to play for. One of these two squads were going to be playing their last match of the season.
The two sides split their regular season match-ups, with each team taking two wins – including a tilt just six days ago, with the Montreal Alliance emerging with the victory on that night.
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Early on, it was apparent that the Shooting Stars had come ready to ball, while the Alliance looked timid and shaky. Scarborough dominated the opening quarter, schooling Montreal in the opening minutes, racing to a twelve point lead just four minutes into the game.
Early struggles from the free-throw line really hampered the Alliance, as it has done all season long. Scarborough played an aggressive game and with giving away fouls left and right, but the Alliance couldn’t take advantage of the opportunities handed to them. At the end of the opening frame, Scarborough lead Montreal by a score of 22 to 14.
Quincy Guerrier opened the second quarter with a bucket to drag the Alliance to within six points. While Alliance star Tavian Dunn-Martin begin the game ice cold, slowly he began to show signs that he was warming up – as were their attempts from the line. However, back to back three’s from the Shooting Stars stuffed the Alliance who were sneaking back into the fold.
Dunn-Martin is the key to Montreal’s offense and has been all season long, and through the opening half, Scarborough had his number. At the over end, Scarborough found ways to sink buckets from all over the court, including some that had no business getting sunk – circus shots. Everything was coming up Shooting Stars.
At the buzzer, Scarborough lead 47 to 38.
The third quarter saw the Alliance storm back in, taking advantage of a Scarborough team that was starting to look fatigued, as if they had expelled too much energy building that early lead, and suddenly, the Alliance were back within a bucket of equalizing the game. While Dunn-Martin was struggling to sink buckets, his play-making instincts were lit up and as he constantly found open team mates.
Scarborough though used their three-point prowess to push their lead back up to eight points again. The Shooting Stars hit their threes all night long. Former Alliance man Anthon Walker slammed home a dunk late in the quarter, as the Shooting Stars lead 70 to 58 at the buzzer.
The Alliance completely crumbled in the final frame. Dunn-Martin and Pistol Smith had combined for just a single three-point bucket a piece all game long, which perhaps is testament to the Shooting Stars defense and scouting department.
Scarborough took a massive 18 point advantage in target score time.
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The Montreal Alliance came out flat in this play-in match up and never once held a lead. A late sure in target time had the Shooting Stars looking nervous but ultimately it wasn’t enough – too little too late. Scarborough, on the other hand, showed up hungry and with a solid game plan, shut down the Alliance and sank threes at will. Scarborough wins by a score of 92 to 86.
The Scarborough Shooting Stars will move on through this play-in to the play-offs when they face the Ottawa Blackjacks in our nation’s capital, while for the Montreal Alliance, the season ends here.
