Sudbury Five fall to Montreal Toundra 100-86 in Game 3 of playoff semifinals

Several Sudbury Five players talk while play is stopped in a game in this undated promotional photo. (File photo/The Sudbury Five/Facebook)

The Sudbury Five saw their perfect start to the Basketball Super League semifinals come to an end Wednesday night, falling 100-86 to the Montreal Toundra at Centre Pierre Charbonneau.

A crowd of about 1,000 watched the Toundra take control early, outscoring the Five 37-25 in the first quarter. Montreal never trailed after the opening minutes.

Sudbury entered the game with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five semifinal series after sweeping the first two games at home. The defending league champions were the second seed in the playoffs, while Montreal was third.

Toundra’s balanced attack

Jeremy Hayes led Montreal with 22 points, hitting three shots from beyond the arc. Tafari Beckford added 19 points and eight rebounds, while Ketarrious Bouchum contributed 14 points.

John Buggs came off the bench for Montreal and scored five points on two-of-six shooting, including one three-pointer, while adding two steals in 14 minutes. Brandon Beloti also contributed four points on one-of-four shooting, along with five rebounds and three assists in 13 minutes.

Sudbury’s struggles from deep

Sudbury’s Emmanuel Akot scored a game-high 25 points but fouled out late. Alex Kotov added 20 points and six rebounds for the visitors.

Five captain Duane Notice finished with 11 points on three-of-11 shooting, including two three-pointers, and added 10 rebounds and seven assists in 42 minutes, while veteran Charlie Marquardt recorded 17 points on six-of-16 shooting, hitting two three-pointers, with nine rebounds in 40 minutes.

The Five shot just 14.8 per cent from three-point range, connecting on only four of 27 attempts from beyond the arc.

Montreal pulls away

The Five stayed within striking distance through the second quarter, with the teams playing to a 21-21 tie in the frame. Sudbury went into halftime trailing 58-46.

Montreal extended its lead in the third quarter before outscoring Sudbury 19-18 in the final frame.

The Toundra shot 48 per cent from the field compared to Sudbury’s 37.8 per cent. Montreal also connected on nine three-pointers while holding the Five to just four. Further, the Toundra’s defence forced 13 Sudbury turnovers on the night.

Series continues

Following the loss, The Five’s social media account posted: “Back at it tomorrow for game 4” alongside the team’s season-long hashtag #DefendTheThrone.

The winner of this series will face either the first-seeded KW Titans or the fourth-seeded Windsor Express – that series is currently tied 1-1.

All four remaining teams were in action Thursday night, with the Five tipping off in Montreal at 7:30 p.m.

Game 5, if needed, will be at the Sudbury Community Arena on Saturday.