ANCASTER, ON.  Redeemer Royals Basketball was back in the Den Tuesday night as they hosted the No.13 nationally ranked Sheridan Bruins. The Royals have had exceptional performances in their home gym and had their eyes set on another upset victory. Sheridan rode a four-game win streak into Tuesday's match and looked to remain undefeated on the road this season. Tuesday's game had the 'road warrior' Sheridan Bruins enter the Lion's Den where the Royals play their best ball.

A key match-up would be in the backcourt between Redeemer's Parker Davis and Sheridans Jeziyah Excell-Johnson. The two guards sit just outside the league's top ten in pts/game, Davis 15.5, Excel-Johnson 15.7. 

Tuesday's match was going to have a heavy focus on ball control. The Sheridan Bruins lead the league in steals/game while the Royals are second in assists/game. Both sides looked to play to their strengths to secure the win. 

First-quarter action got underway at the Redeemer Athletic Centre and the Sheridan Bruins were ready. Sheridan jumped to an early lead matching the Royals fast pace of play. Redeemer settled into the match and had an excellent run of their own. After the first quarter, Sheridan led 34-24. 

The scout on Sheridan Bruins #4 Jeziyah Excell-Johnson was right. The crafty guard had 24 first-half points which led the Bruins to a commanding 64-44 lead at the half. Sheridan's three-point shooting was unstoppable all night and was a key to their early success. 

Royals guard Parker Davis was not silent in the first half either. The third-year guard had 18 points in the first half.

Redeemer entered the third quarter eager to close the gap. The Royals caught fire early in the second half and put together a monumental run to cut the gap to eight points. Royals guard Brendan Morris was the spark plug off the bench. Entering early in the second half Morris hit back-to-back baskets from behind the arc and added a fancy reverse lay-up. 

Down eight entering the fourth quarter, the Royals had all the momentum. Brendan Morris added three more three-pointers in the fourth quarter and had the Royals fans up and loud. 

The Sheridan Bruins did not back down. Rallying late in the game the Bruins extended their lead to 14 to finish the match. 

The Bruins remain undefeated on the road and have passed a serious test playing at Redeemer. The Royals drop to 2-5 on the year and will look to bounce back against the Canadore Panthers this Saturday in North Bay, ON.

Key performers for the Royals were Parker Davis, Ty Storie and Brendan Morris. Davis matched Sheridan's Excell-Johnson's game-high 29 points. Morris followed up with 19 points and shot 55% from behind the arc. Ty Storie recorded a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double.