Slam survive scare versus Titans, win 111-100
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Bellingham Slam let a big lead slip away, but still defeated the British Columbia Titans, 111-100, in a International Basketball League divisional matchup on Friday at Whatcom Pavilion.
The Slam raced out to an early lead, at 10-2, less than three minutes in, and extended their advantage to double digits in the second quarter before settling on a 61-52 lead at halftime.
The Slam continued to push well into the third quarter, maxing out their lead at 16, at 75-59. But British Columbia began to fight back in the closing stages of the quarter, getting physical and trimming the lead to six, at 84-78 going into the fourth quarter.
The Titans continued to rally in the final frame, tying the game twice with under five minutes to play. But the Slam responded, taking the lead for good, at 98-96, with 3:49 left on a putback by Ike Ohanson. Three straight buckets by Jacob Stevenson in the closing minutes helped put the game out of reach for the Titans.
Stevenson once again had a strong outing, scoring 29 points and adding seven rebounds. Ike Ohanson was equally effective, posting a monster double-double with 19 points and a season-high 17 rebounds. Ryan Diggs finished the night with 24 points thanks to 4-of-6 shooting from three-point range.
Terrence Hundley and J.R. Morris led British Columbia with 22 and 21 points, respectively.
The matchup was the first of four straight against the Titans. The two teams meet again north of the border on Sunday, with a 3 p.m. tip-off scheduled at the Langley Events Centre.