The Fatigue Factor - RAINMEN 111, STAMPEDE 90

(Shaun "Mavs" Gillis with Tony Bennett post-game)

RAINMEN 111, STAMPEDE 90
Rainmen Record: 7-2

A back to back situation must be tough in the PBL, especially with an eight-man roster and without a head coach to lead the way. This was the case for the Buffalo Stampede who were without key players Mark Price and forward, Damone Brown in their back to back games in Canada. Buffalo pulled out the win against the Quebec Kebs on Saturday night but unfortunately had the tough task of travelling to Halifax the next day for another matchup.  And fatigue was a huge factor for Buffalo in yesterday's game as the Stampede collapsed in the second half resulting in a Rainmen victory, 111-90.  The Rainmen were able to capitalize on the tired Buffalo roster with an 11-0 run early in the third quarter to build a 12-point lead.  From that point on, Halifax let their bench close the game out.

The 21-point margin of victory was impressive but it wasn't exactly a pretty game for the Rainmen as they struggled to make shots early on.  The most glaring stat from the boxscore was how poorly Halifax shot from three point land.  Halifax was an atrocious 7 for 30 from beyond the arc as both Desmond Ferguson and Tony Bennett who are normally deadly shooters were cold from three.  It was the Rainmen defense that proved to be the difference maker as Halifax struggled on the other end.  Halifax held the tired Buffalo team to just 46% shooting with Buffalo committing 19 turnovers.

The Rainmen bench also came up big in this one with 52 points coming from the reserves.  Adris DeLeon was the lead spark off of the bench, leading the Rainmen in scoring with 17 points.  Eric Crookshank finished with the double double with 15 pts and 15 boards.  Rainmen newcomer and former member of the Buffalo Stampede, Cameron Stanley, made his Rainmen debut and finished with 11 points and 4 rebounds.

For the Stampede, Andy Robinson and Greg Gamble led they way with 29 points and 22 points respectively.  Gamble also finished with 11 rebounds.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis and Romy Aquino's Player of the Game
Tony Bennett 16 pts, 5 rebounds, 2 assists

Hat-tip to the Stampede
Andy Robinson 29 pts, 4 rebounds, 3 assists

Key Notes:

• Shorthanded Stampede:  Not only were the Stampede short a few players but they were also without a head coach.  Assistant coach Jordan Ellis took over the head coaching duties for Buffalo.
• Huge Third Quarter:  Halifax blew the game open with a strong third quarter, outscoring the Stampede 29-15
• Hustle Board Stats:  Halifax had 8 team blocks and 4 steals.  Buffalo on the other hand, had just 1 block and 0 steals.
• Points in the Paint:  66-40 in favour of the Rainmen
• Canadian Watch:  Jevohn Shepherd 8 pts, Garry Gallimore 4 pts
• Movin' On Up: Halifax moves to 7-2 and holds the second spot in the standings behind the undefeated Puerto Rico Capitanes
• If you missed yesterday's game, watch the replay here.
• The Halifax crowd donned the nickname "Big Country" for Buffalo's Garrett Schmidt, who had a striking resemblance to the former Vancouver Grizzly, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves
• Make sure you check out "Mavs" Gillis' interview with Heckler's Row

Post Game Links:

RainmenBasketball.ca

"The win over the visiting Buffalo Stampede improved the Rainmen’s record to 7-2 on the season, securing the team’s hold on second place in the Premier Basketball League."

OurSportsCentral.com

"The Stampede kept it close till the third quarter when the fresh Halifax team pulled away. The Rainmen were led by Adris DeLeon who had 17 points and Tony Bennett who had 16. Eric Crookshank had a good game for the Rainmen with 15 points and 15 rebounds."

The Rainmen will celebrate Valentine's Day next week with a matchup against the Manchester Millrats at 4pm here in Halifax. 

What did you guys think of the game?  What aspect of this Rainmen team has impressed you so far?  Where do you think the Rainmen can improve?  Let us know in the comment section below!

Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL's Halifax Rainmen) from a fan's perspective.  He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com's Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North.  Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino