No. 5 Jersey Express traveled 12 hours by bus to Lexington Catholic High School (KY) to play an intense playoff game against No. 4 Bluegrass Stallions on Saturday night. Despite a high level of energy through 48 minutes of basketball, the Express in their 99-91 loss failed to pull a clutch performance in the last minute of the American Basketball Association quarterfinal.
“We were down by two points with less than 3:00 to go in the game, but we couldn’t get over that hump,” said Express team president Marsha Blount. “We kept the game close up until the last minute.”
Express players failed to make key shots late in the game, which gave the Stallions the opportunity to waste the clock down. The Express were forced to foul in the last minute of the game, but the Stallions managed to make free throws.
The Express entered Saturday’s playoff game in belief of pulling an upset in a state that they normally don’t travel to. Adding on to the motivation was the return of Samar Battle who left the team in early January to join the Harlem Globetrotters. Battle was one of four Express players that scored in double figures with 15 points.
For the Express, it was a rocky first quarter in front of a hostile crowd at the Lexington Catholic High School gym. The Stallions began the game with successful execution on offense, which gave them a 34-23 lead at the end of the first quarter.
“We had a bad first quarter,” said Express forward Elijah Thorpe who scored six points in Saturday’s playoff game. “If we never had a bad first quarter, we probably would’ve won.”
Momentum picked up for the Express early in the third quarter after trailing 53-41 at halftime. Express guards Ahmad Mosley and Jordan Fowler began rallying the team to do what they’ve done all season----run, score, and force turnovers. Mosby led the Express with a game-high 22 points while Fowler put up 20 points.
“We were offensively pushing the ball as the whole team came together,” said Express head coach Cassandra Smith.
The fourth quarter was an intense quarter for both teams as the game remained close. Stallion forwards Bobby Perry and William Harris led the team with 18 points apiece while hitting key shots and free throws late in the game.
Stallion forward Darnell Dialls was a down-low threat in Saturday’s game. The 6-8, 215-pound player had a game-high 14 rebounds with nine points.
"He was the guy that stood out the most on that team,” Thorpe said.
The Stallions will advance to the ABA semi-finals while the Express are eliminated from the playoffs. Blount after the game talked about the team’s overall production and how well they came together as a team.
“They represented New Jersey very well,” Blount said. “They represented their towns and their own communities. These players make us proud, even in defeats.”
Comments