Highlanders edge Lightning in overtime

There is a tie atop the Central Division standings in the National Basketball League of Canada.

The London Lightning returned home on Thursday night after eight straight games on the road and lost 124-121 in overtime to the Cape Breton Highlanders.

The loss dropped London to 22-13 on the year, even with the St. John’s Edge in wins and losses.

The Lightning gave themselves a chance to win the game just by forcing overtime on a lay-up by Garrett Williamson with just six seconds remaining in regulation.

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The teams traded points through the first three minutes of OT, but the game swung the Highlanders’ way thanks to Bruce Massey Jr.’s ability to draw fouls and make free throws. He made six consecutive shots from the foul line to initially tie the game, then put Cape Breton in front by two points and then put the game away after London was assessed a late technical.

Massey Jr. had a massive night. He led all scorers with 44 points and also pulled down 11 rebounds, added seven assists and had six steals.

Royce White of the Lightning wasn’t far off. The reigning NBL Canada MVP came up one assist shy of an enormous triple-double, recording 44 points, 21 rebounds and nine assists.

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Williamson had 30 points and 10 rebounds. London’s starters accounted for almost all of their scoring. Kyle Johnson put up 16 points, Mo Bolden added 14 and Doug Herring Jr. had 13. The Lightning bench chipped in just six.

The Highlanders have struggled for much of the 2017-18 season and sit at 12-22, which has them in last place in the Atlantic Division. This was the first and only game between the teams all year.

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London has five games remaining in their regular season schedule. They have lost four of their last five and will go looking for a victory in a place they have yet to lose on Sunday when the Lightning travel to Kitchener-Waterloo to meet the K-W Titans at 2 p.m.

After that, the Lightning will play two more games on the road before returning home to play their final two at Budweiser Gardens. That will include a make-up game on April 1 against the Island Storm, who could not get out of the Maritimes earlier this year due to a winter storm.

The only other game on the NBL Canada schedule on Thursday saw Halifax beat Moncton 101-86 in a battle of the top two teams in the Atlantic.

Halifax now has a four-game lead over the Magic atop that division.