The Scarborough Shooting Stars (SSS) bounced back into the win column Saturday night, defeating the Calgary Surge 96-80 at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre
The Shooting Stars returned home after suffering their first loss of the season to the Saskatoon Mamba on May 31.
Scarborough quickly energized the home crowd, jumping out to an early 10-3 lead and forcing a Calgary timeout. Myles Powell led the charge, knocking down two pull-up threes to cap off an eight-point first quarter on his way to a game-high 29 points.
The tenacious SSS defence made Calgary uncomfortable from the opening tip, forcing 10 first-half turnovers that led to 10 Scarborough points.
With just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter, Akoi Yuot pushed the SSS lead to 11, finishing a sweeping left-handed layup.
Scarborough led by as many as 13 in the opening frame, but a last-second three-pointer from Evan Gilyard cut the deficit to 10 heading into the second quarter.
Calgary struck first in the second, opening the period on a quick 6-2 run and setting the tone for the remainder of the quarter.
The Surge cut the SSS lead to as little as two points, fueled by Gilyard’s efforts. He scored 10 of his 19 points in the first half while orchestrating Calgary’s offence from the middle of the floor.
Despite Calgary’s push, Scarborough responded and entered halftime with a six-point advantage.
The third quarter mirrored the opening frame, as Scarborough came out aggressively. The Shooting Stars forced multiple deflections and knocked down two pull-up threes to build a 55-43 lead, prompting another early Calgary timeout.
As Scarborough worked through its turnover struggles, the team locked down the paint defensively in the second half, limiting Calgary’s opportunities inside — a key point of emphasis for Head Coach Tyrell Vernon.
“I thought we did a good job, more consistent getting back, making sure we’re not giving them baskets, but they have to work for it,” said Vernon.
To close the quarter, a smooth right-handed baby hook from Frank Mitchell and a pull-up three from Trey Thomas put the Shooting Stars firmly in control heading into the fourth.
“I work a lot,” said Thomas. “My teammates give me confidence. I have a lot of confidence in myself.”
Thomas connected on four of Scarborough’s 11 three-pointers, shooting an efficient 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Improved three-point shooting was an area Vernon highlighted following the loss to Saskatoon.
“It’s the name of the game right now,” said Vernon. “You want to be able to make sure you can take care of that three-point line as best as you can.”
The Shooting Stars continued their strong starts to quarters in the fourth, opening with another Powell three-pointer — his sixth of the game — followed by a thunderous block from Charles Bediako that brought the Pan Am Centre crowd to its feet.
Scarborough maintained control the rest of the way, icing the game at the free-throw line. Two clutch free throws from Frank Mitchell helped secure the 96-80 victory and the Shooting Stars’ fifth win of the season.
Mitchell, who has worked to improve his free-throw shooting, took pride in delivering in a key moment.
“You can’t ‘Hack-A-Shaq’ me. So it feels good, and it comes down to the coaches too, believing in me,” said Mitchell. “I feel that when I’m at the line, I was able to do what I have to do.”
The Shooting Stars will look to make it two wins in a row when they travel to Niagara Falls on June 10 to take on the Niagara River Lions at the Meridian Centre.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
