If the out of sight, out of mind adage is applied, you very might well wonder if the St. John’s Edge are still playing this 2019-20 National Basketball League of Canada season.
Of course they are … and they’re doing quite well. It just seems they to have to keep waiting to demonstrate their talents.
The Edge are in the midst of a 12-day gap between games, part of what can only be described as an unusual regular-season schedule for the team, one that has seen St. John’s play multiple contests in short periods of time and then go through long periods of inactivity, at least in terms of game action.
For example, the Edge played their first eight games of the season — six on the road and two at home — in 13 days, from Dec. 27 to Jan. 8.
But it was supposed to be the same amount of time — 13 days — until St. John’s next gams, and that was extended when Jan. 21 and 22 home dates against the Sudbury Five were cancelled because of the mid-January storm that shut eastern Newfoundland.
That meant the Edge didn’t play again until Jan. 26 — 18 days after their last contest — resuming what would be a six-game homestand that finished up Feb. 6.
Eight days later, on Feb. 13, St. John’s began a four-game Ontario road swing. Combined with Feb. 22 and 23 home match-ups versus the Island Storm, that meant six games in just over 10 days. That flurry preceded the current dozen-day break in the schedule which ends this weekend when the Edge return to Ontario for a less hectic road swing; they’ll play six games in just under two weeks, beginning Friday night in Windsor against the Express.
What’s more, the Edge’s schedule will finish with another anomaly as they play their last eight games — from April 1 to April 16 — at home. It was originally to have been six games at Mile One Centre, but those two January contests against Sudbury that were postponed were tacked on to the end of the home stand.
So far, the Edge have shown they can handle the stop-and-go schedule.
After losing its first four games, St. John’s has gone 11-3, and its 11-7 overall record is third-best in the NBLC, in terms of winning percentage, behind the defending champion Halifax Hurricanes (18-4) and London Lightning (14-7).
The Edge have been led by double-double machine Montay Brandon, who leads the entire league in rebounding, team top scorer Karrington Ward, Cane Broome, who averages more than 15 points per game off the bench and veteran guard Junior Cadougan, who leads St. John’s in assists while delivering 14.6 points per contest.
Twitter: @telysports
