Rainmen face elimination after loss

04/15/2010 11:30 PM

The Halifax Rainmen are facing an uphill battle, having to win two road games against the league-leading Lawton-Fort Sill Cavalry, if the hope to prolong their PBL playoff season.

The Rainmen dropped their opening home game of their best of three series to the Cavalry Thursday night at the Metro Centre, 108-104.

While the Rainmen led by three points after the first quarter, 30-27, the Cavalry dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Rainmen 31-14, to build up 14-point lead, 58-44, at half-time.

The Rainmen battled back in the third quarter to close the gap to within three points but the Cavalry squashed the Rainmen’s third quarter momentum with some late baskets to build their lead back to nine points, 81-70, going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Cavalry held off another Rainmen charge that saw Halifax pull within a single point with less than a minute to play.

But that was as close as the Rainmen would get as the Cavalry sunk three baskets at the foul line to finish the scoring.

Gary Ervin led the Rainmen with 26 points, while Desmond Ferguson added 25 points. The Rainmen now hit the road to play in Lawton Fort-Still Sunday at 10 p.m. AST.

If the Rainmen can even the series, the final and deciding game will be hosted by the Cavalry on Tuesday, April 20, also 10 p.m. AST.