Cape Cod Frenzys Rob Sanders Fingernail Tip In Gives them 109-108 Victory Over Montreal Matrix - ABA

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MLN Newswire-www.mlntherawfeed.com-Montreal, Canada.  The new-look and newly renamed Cape Cod Frenzy  arrived at the Pierre Charbonneau Arena in Montreal fully rested and raring to  go.  After two weeks of training camp and a week of regular practice, the  young Frenzy unit was ready to show the ABA what they can do.
 
 
 
However, the host team, the Montreal Matrix, was less than hospitable on  the court. A quick 6-1 start by Montreal had the Frenzy on their heels.   How would their young players respond? Dynamic 6-7 forward Rob Sanders  (Providence College) responded for the Frenzy with several acrobatic interior  baskets.  The older, more experienced Matrix squad pushed the lead back  out to 19-10 with 4:28 left in the first quarter. Cape Cod refused to quit,  closing the quarter strong and cutting the Montreal lead to 23-21 at the end  of one.  It would be the first of many such comebacks by the Frenzy in  the game.
 
 
 
Early in the second, the Frenzy captured their first lead of the game  24-23 on a slam dunk by guard Jermaine Watson (Boston College).  The  Matrix decided to try and capitalize on their height advantage rotating 3  seven footers in and out of the game.  Cape Cod briefly tried a zone  defense and paid for it with two quick three pointers by Montreal.  The  Matrix led 47-37.  But again the Frenzy battled back. A three pointer by  guard Dustin Hellenga (Rhode Island) and a dunk by Rob Sanders brought the  Frenzy all the way back to a 49-44 deficit at the half.
 
 
 
"We were feeling good about our chances at halftime," explained Frenzy  coach Angel Robinson Jr., "because they were clicking on all cylinders and we  were clicking on just one, and we were still in the game."
 
 
 
However, the confidence turned to despair rather quickly and the Frenzy  came out of halftime flat, and the Matrix jumped out to a 63-50 lead at the  7:26 mark of the 3rd. Continually throughout the game, Frenzy layups seemed to  bound around and rim out, while the opponents shots bounced 3 or 4 times  before settling in.  The bounces just seem to keep going Montreal's  way.  But, once again, the Frenzy players refused to die. Coach Robinson  implemented a diamond press which proved to be the key to a 12-0 run, capped  off by a driving layup by Jermain Watson who also drew the foul. The seesaw  battle ended up all tied, 75-75 at the end of the third quarter.
 
 
 
The Frenzy keps the pressure on and a floating shot by Steve Hailey put  Cape Cod up 108-105 with 18 seconds left. The Matrix, desperate for a 3,  heaved an errant toss from behind the ark that was caught shot of the rim by  6-11 Frenzy center Ifesinachi Anosike. Astonishly, the refs called this "Hail  Mary" shot goaltending - and called the game tied 108-108 wityh 5.4 seconds  left.
 
 
 
"Ed the game NOW, we're going to finish this right now on this  possession," hollered Frenzy players in the final huddle, desperate to begin  their inaugural season 1-0.  They took the court focused on a  mission.  The ball came to Hellenga, who promptly took his man off the  dribble left lane and lofted an arching floater that kissed  glass...and...bumped out. As the ball bounded up, a Matrix player tipped it in  an effort to grab it and Frenzy Rob Sanders got a fingernail on the ball. The  result:  the ball reversed direction and kissed back off the glass and  fell into the hoop.  Frenzy victory!  Hysteria ensued. Quite fitting  for all the near misses throughout the game that the last shot made was a  fingernail tip in.
 
 
 
The Frenzy were led by Rob Sanders with 27, Jermaine Watson and Dustin  Hellenga with 24, Richmond Pittman 16 and Steve Hailey with 10. The Matrix  were led by Shawn Browne's 33.