Raptors 905 continue to skid losing heartbreaker to Wisconsin Herd

No, you aren’t feeling deja vu, the Raptors 905 have lost once again to the Wisconsin Herd 104-102 Saturday night.

For the second straight evening, the 905 were downed by the Herd at Oshkosh Arena, after losing 118-104 on Friday night. This time, however, it was in a more heartbreaking fashion, with Herd forward Henry Ellenson putting up a layup after collecting an offensive rebound with 0.6 seconds left, winning the game.

The loss marked the 905’s fifth straight, as the team has now lost seven of their last eight games.

To start the second half of the back-to-back, two players shined early: James Akinjo for the Herd and Eugene Omoruyi for the 905. Akinjo’s seven points on 3-for-3 shooting would get Wisconsin out and leading early, but four quick Omoruyi points would bring the Mississauga squad within two at the first timeout. The rest of the quarter would be back-and-forth, with the 905 alternating between zone and man defence, while former Wisconsin Badger Frank Kaminsky kept them afloat on offence. Ultimately, the Herd would maintain their lead to end the quarter 31-29.

Omoruyi would get things cooking early in the second, nailing a 3-pointer on the first offensive possession to give the 905 their first lead of the game. It would be the start of a fantastic quarter for the junior Raps, outscoring the Herd 36-17 in the frame to jump out to a 65-48 lead, largely thanks to contributions from Jared Rhoden and Charlie Brown Jr. At the half, the 905 would be shooting a whopping 51.0 percent from the field and 42.9 percent distance.

The third quarter started how the second quarter began, with an Omoruyi bucket. Only this time, it would be the Toronto, Ontario-raised forward getting to the basket. It would be Wisconsin dominating the start of the second half, however, cutting the lead to 10 behind an 11-4 run. The Herd wouldn’t stop there, turning that into a 22-6 run, cutting the lead to one with just over three minutes to go. Overall it was a pitiful offensive quarter from the junior Dinos, only scoring seven points with three minutes to go and only 16 points overall as the 905 would hold a small lead 83-81 after three.

The final frame would be closely contested and back-and-forth, with Rhoden and Akinjo trading buckets. The Wisconsin ball legends Ellenson and Kaminsky would also be super effective in the fourth quarter. Two back-to-back big 3-pointers by former 905er Justise Winslow would give the Herd a two point lead with under a minute to go, before another Omoruyi finish around the basket would tie things up at 102 with just seconds left. But on the next trip down, Ellenson would collect an offensive rebound and put it back up for the win.

Ultimately, the game saw 12 lead changes in a fun one in Wisconsin.

Next up for the 905 is the Indiana Mad Ants as they wrap up a five-game road trip. These two teams last matched up nearly a month ago, with the 905 losing 116-112, beginning the slide of their recent play.

Notable performances:

Raptors 905:

Jared Rhoden 22 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.

Frank Kaminsky 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.

Eugen Omoruyi 17 points, eight rebounds, four assists, one block, and one steal.

Wisconsin Herd:

Henry Ellenson 30 points, 13 rebounds, and two assists.

James Akinjo 19 points, 14 assists, five rebounds, and two steals.

Justise Winslow 16 points, three rebounds, two steals, and one assist.

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