K-W Titans centre Flen Whitfield attempts a jump shot versus the Windsor Express on Sunday in Kitchener. (Photo: Dan Congdon)

Titans crush Sudbury, edge Windsor for unbeaten weekend

The Kitchener-Waterloo Titans stared down two division rivals over the weekend, welcoming the Sudbury Five and Windsor Express to The Aud on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. With the injury bug biting the Titans in recent weeks and with London nipping at their heels for the final playoff spot, K-W can ill afford to lose winnable divisional matchups down the home stretch. Having been short on bodies with two teams ahead of them in the standings coming to town, the Titans needed someone to step up with a strong performance.

Big man Flen Whitfield answered the bell on Saturday night, pouring in 26 points on 10-13 shooting with four rebounds in 22 minutes of action. His fellow front-court standout Derek Hall chipped in an impressive double-double, scoring 11 points while pulling down 13 rebounds and even added five assists. The Titans opened up an 18-point lead at half-time, and never let Sudbury back into the game as they cruised to the 129-109 victory. On Sunday, fatigue likely played a part in a slow start from K-W, as Windsor carried most of the pace for the first half, leading by five at the break. The third quarter was all Titans, though, as the home side put up 37 points to take the lead heading into the final frame. In the fourth, neither team conceded an offensive opportunity as the two sides played thrilling, run-and-gun ball nearly until the final buzzer. The Titans were able to hold off a spirited Windsor push, and came out on top, 117-112. Point guard Damon Lynn had a huge game, scoring 21 points off the bench with six rebounds and seven assists. Hall had his second straight double-double with 22 points and 13 rebounds. 

The back-to-back wins bring K-W's record to an even 11-11, which ties them with Sudbury for third in the NBL's Central Division. The Titans are trying to hold off London below them, as the top four teams in the five-team table qualify for playoffs. The team will be in Sudbury and London on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, before returning to The Aud on Sunday afternoon to host Cape Breton.