Basketball enthusiasts witnessed a thrilling game of basketball on Sunday, April 23, as the NOVA Bulls ended their four-game slide with an impressive victory over the Philly Raiders. The game was fiercely contested by both teams, but the Bulls managed to overcome an early deficit to take a comfortable lead into halftime. The second half saw the Bulls extend their lead and despite a late surge by the Raiders, they managed to hold on for a well-deserved 130-117 win. In this blog post, we'll dive deeper into the game and explore the standout performances that helped the Bulls secure the victory. The first quarter saw both teams come out of the gate firing on all cylinders. Sharpshooter Jerry Carter of the Bulls started out hot, scoring 13 of his 18 points in the first quarter behind three long bombs. The Raiders, however, managed to stay neck and neck with the Bulls and ended the first quarter up 38-37. It was in the second quarter that the Bulls really turned up the heat. They used an 11-0 run to end the half, going up 70-57 at intermission. This impressive run was largely due to a smothering defense led by Ernest Jenkins, Jr, who scored 9 points in the quarter, and Chris Knight, who added 8 points.

The Bulls continued to dominate in the third quarter, going up 100-82. Although the Raiders made a valiant effort to close the gap and got as close as 9 points, the Bulls held their composure and secured the 130-117 victory. It was a true team effort by the NOVA Bulls with six players finishing in double figures. Chris Knight led the way with 30 points and 5 rebounds on 14/23 shooting from the field. Ernest Jenkins, Jr added 29 points while grabbing 9 rebounds and dishing out 6 assists, shooting 9/14 from the field. Jerry Carter contributed a near triple-double finishing with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and a season-high 9 assists. The Bulls' 6'8" ECBL veteran forward, Leroy Butts, poured in 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds while battling foul trouble. Fellow 6'8 forward Kobby Ayetey contributed a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, despite his own struggles with foul trouble. Crafty point guard, Josh Peterson, also had a standout performance, contributing his first career triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. In addition to the exceptional performance by the players, the Bulls as a team, dished out 33 assists on 50 made FG and shot 18/23 from the free-throw line while forcing 22 Raider turnovers.

Overall, it was an exciting game that saw the NOVA Bulls end their four-game slide with a convincing 130-117 victory over the Philly Raiders. The Bulls' impressive performance was a true team effort, with standout performances by several players, and solid contributions from others. This win will help them build momentum as they look to continue their winning ways in their next game. We look forward to seeing what the rest of the season holds for the NOVA Bulls.