Express Kick Off New Year With Win

Hello time traveller!!
This article is 3402 days old.
The information listed below is likely outdated and has been preserved for archival purposes.

The biggest year for the Windsor Express is now in the past, but the task remains the same. The Brampton A’s have their own task in hand – to knock off the reigning champs. On New Year’s Day, Windsor played from behind for most of the game, but took the lead when it mattered. The Express narrowly escaped the clutches of the Brampton A’s, and went on to win 103-96 at the WFCU Centre.

Tony Bennett was the leading scorer for the Express with 23 points. Following the game, the Express star signed his pair of game-worn shoes for a young fan celebrating her birthday at the game.

Gary Gibson added 19 points. Quinnel Brown put up 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Kevin Loiselle scored 12 points and picked up 8 rebounds.

A rivalry between two all-star teams intensified Thursday night as the Brampton A’s came prepared. Throughout the opening quarter, the visitors were dominating the Express. Whenever it seemed Windsor was going to pull forward, Brampton’s hot shooters would step up. The A’s hit 75% of their three-pointers in the first. They had the upper hand early and picked apart Windsor’s defense. The Express came out down by 10 after 12 minutes.

The powerful play continued into the second for Brampton. Early on, Cavell Johnson made two huge blocks on the Express offense, and they had trouble getting going. The chances were there, but they could not quite capitalize. As the quarter counted down, Windsor was finally able to mount a bit of offense to narrow the Brampton lead. The A’s were up at halftime, by a score of 47-43.

Again, the visiting Brampton A’s controlled the quarter as Windsor tried to come back. The Express slowly crept closer before eventually tying with a pair of foul shots. Now, the teams were both fighting for the lead. Tensions were building and the game got heated to the point of scuffles and shoves. After settling down, the two heavy-hitters headed to the final quarter, with Brampton leading 78-73.

The Express were ready to rally and soon pressed for the takeover. They were unfortunately left without veteran Chris Commons after he was injured on a defensive play. The star returned a few minutes later into the thick of the game. Shortly after, Kevin Loiselle laid the ball in to give Windsor an 89-87 lead as the crowd came to life. The fans erupted and the Express started to pull ahead. The A’s were staying just within baskets. The train, though, was gone. With the quarter coming to a close, the Express stave off defeat and beat the Brampton A’s 103-96.

Windsor returns to the WFCU Centre Thursday, January 8^th in a rematch against Brampton.