Port Coquitlam’s Josiah Mastandrea is two games into his professional basketball career.
The 6’2” guard who played his high school ball for the Terry Fox Ravens signed with the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL-C) after he recently completed his collegiate career at Simon Fraser University.
Mastandrea scored five points and saw 10 minutes of action over the course of a pair of Lightning wins last weekend, 117-92 over the Sudbury Five, and 123-104 over the Windsor Express. The victories extended London’s season-opening winning streak to seven games.
The NBL-C is a minor pro league comprised of four teams based in Ontario. They also play games against nearby teams in the US-based The Basketball League (TBL).
Mastandrea’s signing brings the Lightning’s Tri-City connection to two, as the team is coached by Port Moody’s Doug Plumb, who previously guided the St. John’s Edge when the Newfoundland city was part of the NBL-C.
Plumb said he likes Mastandrea’s work ethic.
“He is the type of kid who works diligently, is a great teammate, and deserves the opportunity to show what he can do at this level,” said Plumb in a statement on the Lightning’s website.
Mastandrea, who’s the first player in the NBL-C to play pro and college games in the same month, said he’s ready to get to work.
“I’m ready and grateful for the opportunity to play at this level.”
Mastandrea joined SFU in 2020 after three seasons at Douglas College. And while the team didn’t play a 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he finished the 2021-22 season as the school’s top three-point shooter. His 38.2 per cent accuracy from beyond the arc also ranked him 20th in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
