The KW Titans notched their first win of the 2018/2019 season this past Thursday in Kitchener.
The Aud hosted the visiting Windsor Express for the Titans’ second game of the season and the team’s first opportunity to equalize their record.
The game was a highly competitive one, with both teams looking to get their first victories of the season in a high-stakes matchup.
The Titans got off to a sluggish start against the Express, failing to establish any sort of advantage in the first half as the game itself was heavily affected by some tight officiating, making it difficult for both teams to get any sort of flow.
At the halfway point Windsor led KW by five points with a score of 49-44.
In the second half, the Titans seemed to turn it on, playing with some newfound intensity behind some stellar play from KW guard and Scarborough native Ashton Smith, who scored a game-high 21 points to go along with a team-high seven assists in his 34 minutes of action.
“I just decided to pick it up and be more aggressive,” Smith said. “Once I got more aggressive, things started opening up for everyone else, so it was good.”
Apart from Smith, Derick Hall notched his second double-double of the season, with 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Titans’ rookie Justin Strings made his debut as he played his first minutes for KW, scoring 10 points and swatting four shots off the bench.
The Titans continued their offensive push in the fourth quarter, leading by as many as 18 points at times. The Express attempted a late game comeback but were foiled by some tough Titans defence.
KW edged out Windsor in an impressive victory with a final score of 100-88, as the Titans got their first win of the season.
KW spent the next day travelling out east to begin their five-game road trip, which began with a heartbreaking loss to the Cape Breton Highlanders on Saturday 110-108.
The Titans’ next opportunity to even their season record comes on Wednesday, as they will head to Newfoundland to take on the Saint John Riptide.
