The Home Dominance Continues - RAINMEN 104, MILLRATS 83

RAINMEN 104, MILLRATS 83
Rainmen Record: 8W-2L

Just like the Buffalo Stampede last week, the Manchester Millrats rolled into Halifax with tired legs and a shorthanded eight-man roster.  The Millrats, who had played Saturday afternoon against the Quebec Kebs, came to the Halifax Metro Centre for their second matchup in two days.  Halifax pounced on the Millrats' tired legs and built a commanding 33-17 lead in the opening quarter. 

The Millrats bounced back in the second quarter, going on a 12-0 run to get within seven until Halifax's Tony Bennett ended the run with a three with 2:59 to play in the half. 

The Rainmen regained control in the second half when they outscored the Millrats 55 to 44.  Halifax's offense was too much for the Millrats as they had no answer for Rainmen guard, Tony Bennett.  Bennett finished with season-highs in both scoring and rebounding with 32 points and 8 rebounds. The win over the Millrats was Halifax's sixth straight home win as they still hold an unblemished home record.

Eric Crookshank was impressive on the glass, grabbing 19 boards to go with his 18 points.  And as much as the Millrats defense tried to defend their former player, Desmond Ferguson, Ferguson dropped 14 points on his former team.

For the Millrats, Charles Bronson put together a double double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.  Dwight Brewington, the league's only deaf player, chipped in with 16 points.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis and Bill McLean's Player of the Game:
Tony Bennett 32 pts (season-high), 8 rebounds (season-high), 2 assists, 2 steals

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game:
Eric Crookshank 18 pts, 19 rebounds, 4 blocks and a steal

Hat-tip to the Millrats:
Charles Bronson (not to be confused with this Charles Bronson) 20 pts, 12 rebounds, 2 assists

Key Notes:

• Workin' the Glass:  Halifax outrebounded Manchester 59-45
• Points in the Paint:  Rainmen did their thing down low, scoring 58 points in the paint while the Millrats' scored 42
• Horrible FT Shooting: The Rainmen struggled from the FT line, nailing only 10 of 21 free throws (47.6 %) 
• Adios Adris:  At the end of the game, the Rainmen announced that guard, Adris DeLeon, had played his final game as a member of the Rainmen and heads back to his home country of the Dominican Republic.  He will be continue his basketball career with the Dominican national team.  We wish Adris all the best.
• Newest Faces:  The Rainmen's newest faces, Cameron Stanley and DeAndre Thomas, didn't see much floor time on Sunday.  Thomas saw the court for a little over 4 minutes and Stanley played just 3 minutes. 
• Canadian Watch:  Garry Gallimore 6 pts (2 threes), Jevohn Shepherd finished with 0 points, 2 rebounds and an assist
• Public Enemy #2:  The Rainmen now sit with an 8-2 record and are in the second spot behind the Puerto Rico Capitanes

Post Game Links:
The Chronicle Herald

"The Rainmen stayed perfect at home on the PBL season, pushing their second-place record to 8-2 at the halfway mark with a 104-83 win over the Manchester (N.H.) Millrats before an estimated 2,500 fans. It was the sixth straight home win for the Rainmen and third on their current five-game homestand."

Our Sports Central

"Tony Bennett had a huge game for the Rainmen, racking up 32-points, 20 of which were scored in the second half. Eric Crookshank was strong off the boards, pulling down 19 rebounds, while adding 18 points. The Rainmen started fast in Sunday's game with 33 points in the first quarter and never looked back."

Metro Halifax

"The Rainmen are 8-2 and pushing for their first Premier Basketball League playoff spot. The Millrats, a PBL semifinalist last year, are slipping further out of the race at 3-8."

The Rainmen are back in action this Saturday when they face off against the Maryland Greenhawks here in Halifax (Watch it live on Haligonia.ca!)

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