March 31, 2024
KW Titans 105 – 102 Montreal Toundra
On the final game of a three-header Easter weekend where Montreal’s hopes of a post-season have dwindled following two losses to both the Windsor Express and the London Lightning, they take on the top seeded KW Titans.
This being an earlier start that the two previous games, I wondered if fatigue might settle in and be a factor in the outcome of the contest. Playing three games in three days is a grueling challenge for any set of athletes.
See Also: Tempers flare as Montreal loses to the London Lightning at home
The first quarter was hotly contested with the action going back and forth up the court. On the third consecutive day of basketball, one thing for certain is that the Montreal Toundra weren’t showing the fatigue I expected to see from them. And they certainly didn’t look like the last place team squaring off against the top seeded team in the league, that’s for sure. This was about as close of a game as you can get.
The two teams traded buckets throughout the opening quarter and there really didn’t look to be much difference between the two squads. To the surprise of many, Montreal was keeping up with the Titans and at the end of first quarter, were tied at 26 with the Titans.
The second quarter was more of the same – fast, offensive basketball from paint to paint. Montreal Toundra guard Mambi Diawara was well focused and read the Titans plays all afternoon long, recording four steals throughout the game. His reads and interceptions were a large part of how the Toundra were able to keep the game close. The Titans took a five point break into halftime.
Tafari Beckford had an exceptionally solid game, leading the Toundra with 19 points but also showed a great deal of leadership on the hardwood, too. He and Diawara were leading by example and the crowd was eating it up, cheering loudly from the stands.
The game remained close although it became apparent that Montreal was finding it harder and harder to keep up, but the Toundra put up a valiant battle and did really well keeping the game close. At the end of the third quarter, just one point separated the with teams with the slight advantage going to London. The Toundra made several comebacks before taking the lead early in the fourth quarter and from that point on, the amperage really ramped up.
The atmosphere in the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau was electric the rest of the way, and the action on the court was electrifying. With one minute to go in the game, Tafari Beckford ties the game at 99 points a piece, getting everyone in the building up on their feet.
The final minute took an age to run out, with more action that is humanly fathomable crammed into it. Each play seemingly had a time out attached to it. First, the Titan moved ahead 102 to 99 with just 14.6 seconds remaining, which became 102-100 with just 5.6 seconds left and finally it came down to the most slender of leads, as the Titans lead 104 to 102 with 0.9 seconds left in the game, earning a foul to increase the final tally to 105 to 102.
Read More:
>> Windsor Express hold on to beat Montreal at home
>> Montreal Toundra lose to the Sudbury Five in home opener
>> Montreal Alliance lose heart breaker to the Scarborough Shooting Stars
The Montreal Toundra had themselves a rough weekend but came seriously close to upsetting the top tier team.
Montreal are next at home on April 7th when they host the Newfoundland Rogues at the Centre Pierre-Charbonneau. Having defeated the Rogues twice a few weeks ago, Newfoundland will surely be coming to town looking for some revenge, and should make for a great match-up. Tickets are available starting at $10 from this location.
