BlackJacks drop River Lions 122-113 in high scoring affair

The Ottawa BlackJacks (7-10) set a new franchise single-game scoring record en route to a 122-113 win over the East-leading Niagara River Lions (13-6) on Saturday night.

Niagara seemed to have the game under control in the third quarter, leading by as much as nine. But Ottawa had no quit in them, outscoring the River Lions 36-25 in the frame to edge out a 94-89 lead heading into the fourth.

The BlackJacks elevated their game to another level in the fourth quarter and the River Lions had no answers to slow them down. Ottawa went on to snap Niagara’s six-game win streak and walk away with a crucial victory.

“It was a huge win,” said Ottawa head coach James Derouin. “Niagara is the best team in the league, they won (six) in a row, missing a couple of guys, but then we lose D.A. [Deng Adel] at halftime, so that kind of evens it out. Even though we’re down four at the half, we lose D.A., to even rally behind that was really special.”

Tevin Brown led the way for Ottawa with 27 points, three rebounds, one assist, and a steal.

“I played good, and our team played a lot better as far as rebounding and taking care of the ball, and we came out with a victory,” Brown said about tonight's game. 

Ottawa’s bench also showed up for them tonight, scoring 42 points in the victory.

“It was huge,” Derouin said about the bench's contribution. “We get 42 bench points to their 35, and we got Shamar in there, and Miryne in there. Great energy in just a short burst of minutes. Tyrrel Tate coming off the bench with a show-me-coach type of game after he didn’t play a lot on Thursday.”

“I don’t know if he was looking at the bench or if he was looking at me when he hit those shots, but that’s alright, whatever it takes, I’ll take it,” he added. “The bench was fantastic tonight.”

Ottawa came out of the gates swinging in the first quarter, jumping to a 31-23 lead. However, Niagara would roll with the punches and find their way back, taking the lead 64-58 heading into the half. 

The River Lions would lead by as much as nine in the third, but the BlackJacks gave them a taste of their own medicine by battling back to take a 94-89 lead at the end of the third quarter. They carried this momentum straight into the fourth to extend their lead and take the 122-113 victory.

“It’s crazy how basketball works. On Thursday we couldn’t buy a bucket,” Derouin said about the team's offence tonight. “There were four- or five-minute stretches where we couldn’t score, and tonight it felt like we couldn’t miss. I just thought the guys compared to Thursday just stayed with it, they didn’t get down on themselves and energy stayed high.”

“We got a big boost from Miryne Thomas off the bench,” he added. "I thought he did really well and big man Meshack as well, just the pieces that we maybe needed, and obviously Tevin Brown is pretty special.” 

What’s next for both teams?

The BlackJacks will look to keep up this winning momentum when they face off against the Saskatchewan Rattlers this Thursday. As for the River Lions, they will play their final game of the CEBL season in a rematch with the BlackJacks this Saturday.

- CEBL -

About the CEBL

A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 75% of its rosters being Canadian and a record 10 players with NBA experience in 2024. Players also bring experience from the NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, NCAA programs, as well as U SPORTS and CCAA. Fourteen players have signed NBA contracts following a CEBL season, and numerous CEBL players attend NBA G League training camps every year. The CEBL season runs from May through August with games broadcast live on CEBL+ powered by BetVictor, TSN, TSN+, RDS, Game+, Next Level Sports & Entertainment and Courtside1891. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.