Backs Against the Wall - CAVALRY 108, RAINMEN 104

CAVALRY 108, RAINMEN 104
Playoff Series:  CAVS lead the series 1-0
An 11-2 run by the Cavs in the second quarter proved to be the difference maker in the Halifax Rainmen's first-ever playoff game. 

The first round playoff series between the Rainmen and the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavs was played in Halifax on Thursday night, where the Rainmen have played well all season with their 8-1 home record.  But the Rainmen struggled to protect their home court when the Cavalry capitalized on the Rainmen's struggles in the second quarter. 

Tim Ellis of the Lawton Fort-Sill Cavs got hot in the second when he scored 13 of his 29 points and the Cavs outscored the Rainmen 31-14. Halifax went shot poorly in the second quarter when Gary Ervin, who has been a integral part to the Rainmen's offense, went 0-6 from the field.  Things also got physical towards the end of the half when Ervin got into the face of Cavs' guard Tim Ellis after an Ellis foul.  This sparked a bit of a shoving match between both teams which ultimately led to double technicals on both Ervin and Ellis along with Tony Bennett.  The Cavs capped off the half with a 14-point lead.

But the Rainmen bounced back.  Gary Ervin took control in the second half, as the Rainmen pushed their way back into the contest.  A Rainmen run in the final four minutes got this Rainmen team as close as three points.  Unfortunately, this was as close as it got.  The Rainmen defense struggled to make key stops down the stretch and made a couple of pivotal turnovers to give the strong LFS Cavs a 1-0 series lead.

The Cavs were led by 6'5" forward, Tim Ellis, who scored 29 points.  The Rainmen had no answer for the forward who played 44 minutes.  Jamaal Davis chipped in with 20 points and guard, Eddie Smith, scored 21 points.

For the Rainmen, even though Gary Ervin struggled in the second quarter, he was also the driving force to get the Rainmen back into the game in the second half.  Ervin had 26 pts, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.  He was also 14/15 from the free throw line.  The face of the Rainmen franchise, Eric Crookshank, struggled in his playoff debut, finishing with just 7 points.  Desmond Ferguson nailed 5 triples throughout the night and had 25 points.

Shaun "Mavs" Gillis and Bill McLean's Player of the Game
Jamaal Davis 20 pts, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 1 steal

Romy Aquino's Player of the Game
Tim Ellis 29 pts, 9 rebounds, 4 assist, 2 steals

Hat-tip to the Rainmen
Gary Ervin 26 pts, 7 rebounds, 9 assists

Key Notes:

• Glaring Stat of the Night:  20 turnovers for Halifax to the Cavs' 9
• Points in the Paint:  58-40 for the Cavs
• Battle of the Boards:  Halifax had the edge, rebounding-wise, outrebounding the Cavs 47-44, LFS had the edge on the offensive boards 13-7
• No MVP?  DeAnthony Bowden, the LFS Cavs' leading scorer with 17.2 ppg (and also a PBL MVP candidate), was not on the Cavs' roster due to passport issues
• Matchup of the Night:  The most entertaining matchup of the night had to be Strick and Oliver Miller, there's nothing like watching two almost-40 year-olds battle it out in the paint.  The matchup alone is worth the price of admission.
• Canadian Content:  Garry Gallimore sat this game out with an injury, while Jevohn Shepherd played only 23 seconds in the closing minutes.
• Did you miss the game?  Watch a full replay of the game here

Post Game Links:
Metro Halifax
"The Rainmen put up a season-low 14 points in the second quarter and — despite holding the edge in three other stanzas — were unable to recover in a 108-104 loss to the Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry in the opener of the Premier Basketball League best-of-three semifinals before a crowd of 1,925 at the Metro Centre on Thursday."

The Chronicle Herald
"Four times in the final 2½ minutes, Ervin drew the Rainmen to within three points but each time the Cavs answered with a basket of their own. After he shaved the deficit to 105-104 by making a pair of free throws with 25 seconds left, the Cavs closed things out by knocking down three foul shots and forcing a turnover on Halifax’s final possession."

Game two of this first-round series is on Sunday in Lawton, Oklahoma. It's make it or break it time for the Rainmen!

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