Edited to show English was officially disqualified, not ejected, from the contest and to clarify the awarding of techical fouls in the game
There was nothing easy — or ordinary — about it, but the St. John’s Edge finally came away with a victory in Kitchener, Ont.., on Wednesday night.
The Edge hung on for a 96-91 win over the KW Titans in a National Basketball League of Canada game that saw St. John’s hit with four technical fouls, two ejections and the disqualification of leading scorer Carl English.
English got the heave four minutes into the second half, apparently for something he said to a ref just after sinking a basket. English was actually given double technicals, and with two Ts, his dsiqualification was automatic.
The Edge ejections came late in the first half after a tangle between English and the Titans’ Ed Horton offcourt in the corner near the St. John’s bench. That led to a gathering of bodies, some heated exchanges, and once things cooled down, an extra-long deliberation by the referees.
Their rulings: fouls to English, Horton and St. John's power forward Grandy Glaze, technicals to the St. John's bench and Dominic Phillips of KW, and the ejections of Glaze and St. John's assistant coach Doug Plumb, presumably for coming off the bench to inject themselves into the brouhaha.
Glaze’s in-game punishment may come attached with a suspension. He was ejected from a game against the Titans at Mile One Centre in St. John’s under similar circumstances when he left the bench to come to the defence of English, who had been tripped up by Horton.
That led to a one-game league-imposed penance for Glaze.
The St. John’s bench got another technical foul just before mid-game.
Despite missing almost all the second half, English had 23 points and was the leading scorer for St. John’s (23-14), which snapped a two-game losing streak with the win over the Titans, their first victory in four trips to Kitchener-Waterloo this season.
Charles Hinkle and Coron Williams each added 20 points, Ryan Reid had a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds, and Desmond Lee had a dozen boards for St. John’s, which needs just one more win or a Windsor Express loss to clinch home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
That needed victory could come tonight for St. John’s, which finishes off a three-game road trip with a matchup in St. Catharines, Ont., against the Niagara River Lions
Justin Hurtt of the Titans (6-30) led all scorers Wednesday with 26 points while adding 12 rebounds, Horton had 21 points for KW, which narrowed the St. John's lead to two ponts (93-91) in the final minute and had a chance to tie the game or take the lead. But tthe opportunity didn't result in a basket for the home side, only a St. John's rebound, and the Edge would go on to sink three of four free throws after desperation fouls by the Titans.
Notes
After getting ejected, an angry Carl English ripped his St. John's jersey. He later sent out a picture of the torn garment on his Twitter account (@cenglish23) … Guard Jarryn Skeete made his first start of the season for St. John’s on Wednesday contributing eight points and four rebounds while playing 36 minutes, second only to Charles Hinkle (40) on the team … Skeete is one of four players to have appeared in every one of the Edge’s 37 games this season. The others are Hinkle, Desmond Lee and Alex Johnson … Prior to Wednesday’s game, the Edge activated guard Colton Ray, who had been sidelined with a knee injury since mid-December. Ray played just four minutes Wednesday … To make room on the active roster for Ray, St. John’s deactivated guard Wally Ellenson …
Twitter: @telybrendan
