Titans Claw Out Gritty 100-99 Win Over Defending Champs Sudbury Five
In a high-stakes clash at The Aud on Saturday night, the KW Titans protected home court with a gritty 100-99 victory over the league-leading Sudbury Five. Handing the defending champions just their third loss of the season, the Titans avenged a narrow January defeat and moved firmly into second place in the Basketball Super League standings.
KW Titans James Towns guarding the ball during the February 7th matchup against the Sudbury Five at The Aud (Photo Credit: James Jordan)
Head Coach Cliff Clinkscales described the win as a battle of discipline, especially given that the Sudbury Five arrived “hungry” following a loss the previous night. “We wanted to get our win back,” Coach Cliff noted, emphasizing that winning at home is vital in a league where road victories are notoriously hard to secure.
The story of the game was a dominant performance by Ty Pickett, who spearheaded the Titans’ offense with a game-high 33 points and 10 rebounds. Pickett was remarkably efficient, shooting 11 of 15 from the field and maintaining a perfect 11 of 11 mark from the charity stripe, earning him BSL’s player of the week honours.
KW Titans’ player of the game Ty Pickett shooting a free throw during the February 7th matchup against the Sudbury Five at The Aud (Photo Credit: James Jordan)
He was bolstered by veteran guard Antoine Mason, who added 26 points and 5 rebounds. Mason credited the team’s late-game composure to their practice regimen, noting, “In practice, we do a lot of four-minute and three-minute situations… you can’t get too high on your highs or low on your lows”. For Mason, whose father played in the NBA, this level of pressure is second nature.
Despite struggling from beyond the arc, shooting just 21.7% to the Sudbury Five’s 36.4%, the Titans’ physical play allowed them to out-rebound the Five 47- 43. While the Sudbury Five found more success in the paint, outscoring KW 30 – 22, the Titans’ bench chipped in 13 points to help maintain the lead through 10 lead changes. Coach Cliff remained focused on the details after the nail-biting finish, insisting the team must improve on their free-throw shooting and reduce turnovers to avoid similar close calls in the future.
The electric atmosphere at The Aud even captivated newcomers like first-time attendee May, who described the final minutes as “heart-stopping” and exciting enough to have her biting her nails as the teams traded baskets.
Looking ahead, the Titans hope to carry this momentum into their Fan Fest game on family day, next Monday. Coach Cliff’s message to the community remains simple: “Come out. Support us. Have some fun”.