Stingers extend win streak to six in target time thriller over Shooting Stars

The Edmonton Stingers got their six-game win streak in the Six.

The Scarborough Shooting Stars had a 72-71 lead heading into Target Time and it was anyone’s game. 

Edmonton, who trailed in a two-possession game for the majority of the game, came alive when it mattered most, going on a 10-4 run in Target Time.

Keon Ambrose-Hylton, who had 16 points on another efficient seven-for-nine shooting, made a lay-up in Target Time after Sean East baited Scarborough into fouling him and made both free throws.

Scarborough took a timeout and Terquavion Smith missed a triple before Cat Barber missed a lay-up. Scottie Lindsey, who was fresh off a 29-point performance from the previous game, made Scarborough pay by pushing the lead to 79-74. Unfortunately, Edmonton’s game-winning bucket was an anticlimactic one.

Edmonton guard Mason Bourcier’s defence may not show up in the stat sheet, but his tenacity stood out late in the game.

“He gets tasked with the toughest match-up every single night. He rises to the challenge,” said Edmonton head coach Jordan Baker. “That’s what he gets excited about. He did a great job on the ball.” This made life difficult for Cat Barber and Terquavion Smith. 

Captain Nick Hornsby, who willed himself a bucket in the fourth and completed the and-one, finished the game with 16 points and 15 rebounds. 

In tight, two-possession games like this, it’s easy to look back and find reasons for a loss, but Scarborough’s 10-for-24 (41%) free throw shooting hurt them in a win-in-the-margins type of game.

Scarborough was, however, happy with its defence tonight. Edmonton’s star Sean East, who is the league’s third-leading scorer through the last five games (24.4 PPG) has shot 50 per cent from three-point range (13-for-26). Tonight, he was zero-for-six from downtown, held to four points in the first half as Scarborough constantly threw doubles at him. 

“That was part of our game plan and we did a good job of it early,” said Scarborough head coach Mike De Giorgio.  “We got kind of loose towards the end. I think a little bit of that was our defensive transition.”

The intimate vibes inside the arena was electric and Anthony Walker had a game-high 19 points in his debut. When Scaborough was trying to pull away in the third, he had a rim-rattling two-handed dunk and hit a big three at the end of the quarter. 

Another highlight for Scarborough was Kalif Young, the league’s all-time rebounder, grabbing his 600th one. He laughed at the milestone: “I’ve been here a long time. Over six years, so I guess 100 a year.” Young had 14 rebounds tonight. 

Scarborough got close to icing Edmonton’s hot streak in their first road game. It spells progress for Scarborough as they were blown out in their previous matchup. 

After beating their provincial rival Calgary Surge by three points on the road, Edmonton went on a perfect four-game homestand, where they averaged a margin of +16 in through their four home games. 

Edmonton had a slow start to this season, but they are now putting the entire league on notice.