Chris Jones and Billy White are annoying as hell.
The tandem are also very talented basketball players, both of whom have been mainstays with either the London Lightning or Windsor Express, and both of whom have been thorns in the side of the Sudbury Five in many an encounter.
The 2024-2025 home opener for the local Basketball Super League franchise was no different.
With Jones netting 20 of his team high 29 points in the fourth quarter alone and White coming through with baskets at just the right time as part of a 17-point performance, the visiting Lightning overcame a 55-45 half-time deficit, stopping the Sudbury Five 123-119 Saturday night in the Nickel City.
While the Five definitely had glimpses of highly inspired play, they also looked very much the part of a team in transition, with starter Duane Notice the only member of the squad who was also part of the 12-man roster which opened the 2023-2024 campaign with a 124-113 win over London.
Trailing 28-21 after twelve minutes of play, the homeside came alive in quarter two, doubling the Lightning in that stretch alone (34-17) to secure a lead at the break.
With head coach Logan Stutz still tinkering to find various lineup combinations that work, it would be veteran Ja'Myrin Jackson, coming off the bench, who would lead the team in scoring with 30 points.
That said, he was joined by no less than six teammates in double digits as Charlie Marquardt (21), Duane Notice (16), Jelani Simmons (15), Diego Bernard (14), Allen Billinger (11) and Amir Williams (10) all contributed nicely at times.
Paul Parks (25) helped London stay close early on, hitting on four of seven three point attempts, with Jachai Taylor (17) and Tonzell Handy (11) also surpassing the 10-point plateau for the crew that now finds Jerry Williams in as head coach, a stabilizing presence for team that was led for the longest time by combustible basketball man and two-time NBL Coach of the Year, Doug Plumb.
The Sudbury Five are back at home next weekend, tipping off opposite the K-W Titans Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m. before embarking on a six-game road trip that opens with matchups with the Pontiac Pharaohs (December 5th) and the Windsor Express (December 6th).
