| Titans Drop Finale to Canadian Rivals |
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The Vancouver Titans struggled to keep pace with their Canadian rivals, the Edmonton Energy, early in the game Monday night at the Langley Events Centre. While Vancouver gained some ground in the second quarter, in the end, the IBL’s #1 team overwhelmed the injury stricken Titans 129-100. The home game was the final contest of the Titans’ regular season. The Titans were riding a winning streak coming off the road, and were looking to continue that momentum heading into this week’s playoffs, in which they had already secured a berth. However, Edmonton had other plans. With a tenacious offense, and one of the tightest defenses the Titans have faced all year, Edmonton had Vancouver against the ropes trailing 34-15 at the end of the first quarter. Titans point guard, James Hudson, commented on Edmonton’s first quarter. “They start the game and establish their aggressiveness,” said Hudson. “They got out on us real quick, and it continued throughout the game, but we adjusted. Unfortunately it was a big deficit right away and that was a big problem for us.” In the second quarter, the Titans came on strong and showed they could play with the league’s top dogs. Led by Hudson, the Titans outscored the Energy, but were still down by 15 points headed into the second half. However, the Titans were unable to sustain their comeback push in the second half, and the Energy expanded their lead, ending Vancouver’s hopes of closing out the year one with a victory on home court. “We didn’t play up to the level we want to play at,” said Titans coach David Petroziello. “But Edmonton is #1 in the league for a reason. They’re big, they use their size well, and they camp out in the lane effectively… they can bang, and they can play.” Edmonton’s size and strength in the post was a huge factor in Monday’s game, all the more so because Vancouver was without its two primary big men, Richard Anderson and Jeremy McCulloch, who are both nursing injuries. Titans guard, Brandon Ellis, spoke about facing Edmonton short-handed. “Their big guys are huge,” said Ellis. “In a game like this, we lose the battle inside, we need Richie [Anderson], and Jeremy McCulloch. It puts us to a big disadvantage when we don’t have them. We can matchup on the outside, but, you can see [what happened inside].” Edmonton’s primary perimeter threat was shooting guard, Steve Sir, who knocked down several long-range shots, finishing the night with 23 points, 5 of 10 from beyond the three-point arc. “Sir is a lights-out shooter,” said coach Petroziello. “You’ve got guys in his face and he’s knocking shots in from wherever.” Other standout performances included Edmonton point guard, William Funn, who registered a triple-double. For the Titans, Jessan Gray contributed 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Brandon Ellis had 18 points. North Vancouver’s James Hudson was the game’s leading scorer with 26 points. Monday was the end of a stretch of games that saw the Titans play three games in three different cities in four days. But Petroziello won’t use the team’s schedule as an excuse for the night’s loss. “We didn’t respond with the emotion or the aggression that we really should have,” said Petroziello. “I don’t care what situation we’re in, we have to step out and do a job.” In spite of the loss, Vancouver’s regular season record is good enough to earn them a berth into the IBL playoffs. The Titans start the post season with a wild card game against the host Snohomish County Explosion on Wednesday in Monroe, Washington. Quick Notes Edmonton Energy Steve Sir – 23 pts, 9 rebounds Three Stars 1. William Funn – Edmonton Energy |
