Du’Vaughn Maxwell’s statistics line from the Island’s Storm 24-point win over the Saint John Riptide on Sunday looks like a point guard’s.
The thing is Maxwell wanders between small and power forward most nights. Sunday, Maxwell put up 19 points, a game-high 10 rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in a 109-85 victory in the National Basketball League of Canada tussle in Charlottetown.
The Storm dressed just nine players with forward Chris Johnson and guard Tyler Scott injured and with the recent release of forward Jarion Henry, but Maxwell said having a short bench is nothing new as the Storm’s battled injures all season.
“We’re fighting through adversity. We’ve been down a lot of players, but we’re not making any excuses. We’re feisty right now, hungry,” said Maxwell. “We’re all playing our roles. Franklin and I as captains when we win we (credit the guys) 100 per cent and when we lose we take blame.”
Storm went to 19-17 and moved two games ahead of Saint John (17-19) for the third playoff spot in the Atlantic Division.
Kemy Osse had a team-high 20 points for the Storm, including 4-for-9 from the three-point line, while Carl Hall and Franklin Session each chipped in 18 points. Session also grabbed nine rebounds and Osse dished out five assists and nabbed seven boards.
Malcolm Miller drained a game-high 21 points for Saint John as he went 5-for-6 on three-pointers and 8-for-10 from the field overall. Marvin Binney had 12 points and Horace Wormley and Mareik Isom each added 11 points. Wormley tallied a game-high 11 assists.
Early it looked like blame not credit after the Riptide got out to a nine-point lead midway through the first quarter. The Storm defence was solid, but led by Miller’s eight points, including two three-pointers, Saint John started hot. By the quarter’s end, a Storm mini-run cut the lead to 24-19.
The Storm tied things 26-26 nine minutes into the second quarter and upped that to 36-26 three minutes later. But Saint John responded with 13-2 run and took a 39-38 with 3:50 left in the half.
The team’s exchanged baskets over the next few minutes and went to the break even at 48-48.
In the third, Saint John became unglued a little with technical fouls that sapped its play. The Storm pounced and drove out to a 82-67 edge by the end of the third and the Riptide couldn’t recover in the fourth.
Feisty the game was, no joke. In the third Maxwell earned himself a technical and was twice involved in pushes and shoves with Riptide players. Referees ejected the Tide’s Aly Ahmed after an altercation with Maxwell.
But for Maxwell, it’s the energy ramping up as the post-season looms.
“In this league at this time of year everyone knows what’s at stake. Nobody likes anybody. It’s nothing personal, but were not going to back down from anybody,” said the Manhattan, N.Y., native.
The last regular season home game drew the Storm’s second-highest total attendance (3,111) in its franchise history in Charlottetown. The top mark was 3,250 versus Moncton on Feb. 28, 2016, while the third-highest was 3,002 in a playoff game against Windsor April 12, 2014.
The Storm ended up 11-9 at Eastlink Centre and closed out the year with five straight home wins.
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A look at Sunday's National Basketball League of Canada game at the Eastlink Centre.
The Outcome
Island Storm 109 Saint John 85
Top Three Scorers
Saint John - Malcolm Miller, 21, Marvin Binney, 12, Horace Wormley, Mareik Isom, 11.
Island Storm - Kemy Osse, 20, Du’Vaughn Maxwell, 19, Carl Hall, Franklin Session, 18.
Top Three Rebounders
Saint John - Malcolm Miller, Brandon Boudry, 5, Jeremich Mordi, Aaron Redpath, 4, Tyquane Goard, 3.
Island Storm - Du’Vaughn Maxwell, 10, Franklin Session, 9, Kemy Osse, 7.
Three-Point Shooter
Saint John - Malcolm Miller, 5-of-6.
Island Storm - Kemy Osse, 4-of-9.
Most Assists
Saint John - Horace Wormley, 11.
Island Storm - Franklin Session, Kemy Osse, 5.
Free Throws
Saint John - Marvin Binney, 4-of-6.
Island Storm - Carl Hall, 6-of-9.
Next Up - The Storm (10-16) host Saint John (13-10) on Islander Day Monday, Feb. 19. Game time is 2 p.m. at Eastlink Centre.
Attendance - 3,111 (second highest in franchise history in Charlottetown).
50-50 - $1,069.
Storm storming down the stretch
Island Storm close out regular season home schedule with victory over Saint John Riptide
The Storm finish the season on the road with games in Saint John (Tuesday), Halifax (Thursday), Cape Breton (Friday) and London (Sunday, April 1).
