Klassen's monster game propels Kings to home win over Lightning

Brent Forster - RDC

Red Deer, AB - With the help of Spencer Klassen's 30 points and the RDC Kings outscoring the St. Mary's University Lightning by 9 points in the fourth quarter, the Kings locked up an 87 - 80 win at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre. 

After falling behind by 7 points in the first quarter, the Kings started to click and pulled ahead 17 - 16. RDC had its strongest offensive output in the second quarter (28 - 24) and at the half the Kings led 45 - 40.

The Lightning rallied and pulled ahead 63 - 61 after three quarters but the Kings persisted and executed at a higher level in the final quarter, completing an 87 - 80 victory. 

Malik Smith (5) Colby Brochu Photography

The Kings were the stronger team on the boards, recording 61 to the Lightning's 41. Kevin Szymanek totaled 17 rebounds and Anthony Harper picked up 12.

Cordell Minnifree scored 17 points for the St. Mary's University Lightning. 

Kings Basketball Head Coach Clayton Pottinger saw some chances slip away but was happy with the Kings' ability to persevere and pull out the win. "We had a big margin in the second quarter when we were up ten but we had a lapse and allowed that to evaporate. Then, we were up five at the end of the second and they went on an 8 - 0 run," he says. "I was glad that the guys showed some grit and were able to come back and put it away in the dying minutes. The fact of the matter is that we had chances to put the game away a lot earlier but we just couldn't find the consistency."

Anthony Harper (4) Colby Brochu Photography

Spencer Klassen was named the Kings Player-of-the-Game and the fourth-year Bachelor of Education student racked up 30 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while going five-for-seven from the free-throw line in 40 minutes played. "Spencer showed poised and we never took him off the floor the entire game," says Pottinger. "He is a conditioned enough athlete that he can do that, and stay out there the entire game, and perform at a level that should really make him an all-star this season."

Spencer Klassen (21)  Colby Brochu Photography

Eric Bakker had 14 points. Cody White hit a trio of three-pointers and recorded 13 points. 

Even though the RDC Kings have a 2 - 1 record and sit in fourth spot in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) Men's Basketball South Division, Pottinger thinks that the Kings haven't reached their potential. "We haven't really caught our stride. I know that we are better than what we have been showing," he says. "Some of the guys haven't got going and we have a bit of an injury thing going on with some guys out. I would like to see us at full strength on a consistent basis in practice and then I think we will be able to perform better in games."

On Saturday, November 3, the RDC Kings (2 - 1) will challenge the Briercrest College Clippers (0 - 3) at 8:00 p.m. at the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.