The suddenly red-hot Scarborough Shooting Stars continued their four-game winning streak with an 88-83 win over the Edmonton Stingers.
Edmonton jumped out on top of the Shooting Stars in the early moments, taking a 15-2 lead and forcing a time-out from Scarborough head coach Chris Exilus. From there, Cat Barber was unleashed and led all scorers with 34 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
“It’s 100 out of 100; we played good today,” said Barber. “I feel like if we keep playing like this, the sky is the limit.”
Kyree Walker was again solid for the Shooting Stars with 19 points and four rebounds and has begun to insert himself defensively, picking up some key defensive stops down the stretch.
“Playing to get wins, that’s the big focus,” said Walker. “We’ve been really locked in the past couple of games, and I’m telling them I’m coming in with a different type of energy, and they’re picking it up and feeding off me.”
Throughout the first eight games of the season, the Shooting Stars fielded a different starting line-up. But with the addition of Walker and David Muenkat to the starting five, Scarborough has begun to settle into some normality with the same five players starting the last two games and Thomas Kennedy settling into the bench commander role.
“Guys are just getting a little more comfortable,” said Exilus. “(Prior to today) it was like, a guy comes off the plane, ‘hi, how are you doing’ and we’re about to play, it takes a little time. Right now, being together and having some time together has really been helping.”
Brody Clarke (#14) led the Edmonton Stingers with 15 points to go with 5 rebounds
The Stingers were balanced in their attack, with six players in double-digit scoring. Brody Clarke led Edmonton in scoring with 15 points and five rebounds. Nick Hornsby had a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. Martynas Varnas scored 13 points, and Aher Uguak, Elijah Miller, and Adika Peter-McNeilly scored 11.
The game was briefly interrupted after Stingers forward Somto Dimanochie suffered a significant lower-body injury while attempting to block a shot. Players and coaches wished Dimanochie well after the game. Stinger’s head coach Jordan Baker said it was too soon to offer an update on his condition.
The Shooting Stars will now embark on a pivotal four-game road trip that will open with a match against the Saskatchewan Rattlers, who stunned Scarborough in their previous match-up this season and currently sit at the bottom of the western conference.
“We can take a lot (from this four-game win streak); we play well on the road, too,” said Barber. “When we go on the road, I feel like we lock in a lot. Overall, I’m just proud of my team and proud of what we’re doing right now.”
NOTE: Somto Dimanochie injury, unofficially listed as a very bad ankle sprain with no significant damage or breaks per On Point sources. This is great news for Dimanochie and his future on the court.
Scarborough Shooting Stars vs. Edmonton Stingers boxscore click HERE.
