(photo credit: Bill MacLean)
RAINMEN 101, MILLRATS 97
In the preseason debut of the Halifax Rainmen at the ’09 Holiday Classic, the Rainmen put together a 32-point fourth quarter to put away the visiting Manchester Millrats. In what could be the highest attendance of a Rainmen game at the Halifax Metro Centre to date (due largely in part to Rogers giving away 10,000 complimentary tickets), the Rainmen-Millrats put on an impressive show.
Leading the way for the Halifax Rainmen was the combo guard and Rainmen returnee, Tony Bennett, who put together 26 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds and three triples including a three late in the game to put the Rainmen within one. With so many new faces on the Rainmen squad, fans got to see glimpses of the new talent on the team. Desmond Ferguson, a former Manchester player, was huge in the second half for Halifax and finished with 18 points. Gary “G-Smooth” Ervin, Arkansas alum, was also a bright spot for the Rainmen and proved clutch in the closing minutes with a key basket to give the Rainmen the lead. Ervin finished with 18 pts and 5 boards.
For the Millrats, point guard Eric Gilchrese chipped in with 25 points, getting 15 points of his 25 from three-point land.
Key Notes:
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Rainmen shot 52% from the field, and held the Millrats to 41% shooting
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“Skyscraper” Shagari Alleyne had a notable Rainmen debut, finishing with 5 pts, 6 boards and 3 blocks
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Halifax worked the glass, outrebounding Manchester 55-45
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Rainmen did a great job getting to the line, getting to the charity stripe 43 times
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Garry Gallimore (St. FX alum) had 2 points, 3 rebounds for Halifax
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Halifax outscored Manchester 32-23 in the fourth quarter
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The Rainmen’s starting lineup had a flashy entrance with a red carpet entrance out of a limousine
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Fan fave, John Strickland, received a lot of “MVP” chants from the Halifax fans, as they were happy to see the old vet back on the floor for another season
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Big shoutout goes out to Shaun “Mavs” Gillis and Bill MacLean on a job well done calling the game last night on Haligonia.ca!
Rainmen fans, what did you think of the Rainmen’s preseason debut? Leave a comment and let us know your thoughts!
The Rainmen take on Quebec this Sunday afternoon (2pm), check out Haligonia.ca for live online streaming coverage!
Romy Aquino covers the pro basketball game (the Canadian Flavour of the NBA, the PBL’s Halifax Rainmen) from a fan’s perspective. He also can be found at NBA hoops blogs, Hip Hoop Junkies (A Member of TheScore.com’s Sports Federation) and Hoop Heads North. Follow him on Twitter: @romyaquino
