Niagara River Lions Clinch Playoff Berth With 89–87 Victory Over Ottawa BlackJacks

Khalil Ahmad punched the Niagara River Lions’ (10-7) ticket to the CEBL playoffs with the game-winner in a 89-87 victory over the Ottawa BlackJacks (12-6) at TD Place.

Ahmad, who shot 1-11 from the field entering the River Lions final possession, had a chance to end the game—with both teams one point away from victory in target score time—after Ottawa’s Matt Coleman III bobbled a pass on the other side of the court.

Following the turnover, the reigning CEBL MVP escaped multiple defenders and got a high-arching scoop layup to fall to snap Ottawa’s eight game win streak.

Ahmad finished with 10 points, six of which came from the free throw line, and six assists.

“We knew it was going to be a dog fight,” River Lions forward AJ Davis said after the game. “All the respect to Ottawa, they’re a great team, we’re also a great team, so it’s two top dogs fighting it out in the east.”

Davis finished with a team-high 21 points and nine rebounds.

The victory also moved the River Lions to one and a half games behind the eastern conference-leading BlackJacks, who currently hold the conference’s automatic ticket to Championship Weekend by virtue of sitting in first place.

“It was massive,” Niagara head coach Vic Raso said of his team’s win. “If we lose tonight we have no chance of getting the first seed… This is a big win for this group tonight.”

Ottawa’s Deng Adel led all scorers with 24 points. He also collected six rebounds and four assists, but had five of the 20 BlackJack turnovers on the night—which proved costly in the loss.

Niagara scored 24 points off those 20 turnovers. And although the River Lions also had issues holding onto the ball—recording 16 giveaways of their own—Ottawa managed only nine points from turnovers.

The game started with both teams refusing to give an inch on defence.

The River Lions and BlackJacks shot a combined 3-15 from three point range in the first quarter, as Eddie Ekiyor—who finished with 18 points and eight rebounds—scored five points in the frame to give Niagara a one-point edge. Adel countered with six of his 24 points in the quarter, while Patrick Whelan chipped in with six points and four rebounds off the bench.

While Niagara struggled to get shots to drop, their hustle on the glass helped provide ample second chance opportunities.

“We started off missing shots,” Davis said. “Offensive rebounds got us more looks and brought us some energy throughout the game.”

Ekiyor nabbed three offensive rebounds in the game, and the River Lions turned 16 offensive boards into 15 second chance points.

“We got to find an answer for Eddie and AJ Davis,” Ottawa head coach James Derouin said. “I thought those two guys dominated the paint.”

Adel added that Niagara’s ability to rebound played a major factor in the game tonight.

“It’s a physical game, you have to have that type of energy. [The River Lions] especially do a good job of crashing the glass, so it’s trying to match that, getting stops and out and running,” he said.

Heading into the second, Jackson Rowe finally got on the scoreboard with a three pointer two minutes into the frame. Rowe, who is averaging over 15 points per game this season, finished with a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Seven of his 10 points, however, came in target score time.

Adel found success by stretching the floor, scoring back to back layups in transition, and pushed the BlackJacks ahead in the quarter. But nine points from Jahvon Henry-Blair made it a 46-40 game at the half.

Following the break, Kadre Gray knocked down three three pointers in the beginning of the quarter to give the BlackJacks a 10-point lead. Gray finished with 18 points and made four of his eight three point attempts.

But Niagara did not go away.

Davis scored seven of his 21 points in the quarter, and the River Lions ended the quarter on a 10-2 run to climb within one point entering the fourth. And in the final frame, Niagara scored four quick points to force an Ottawa timeout.

The River Lions then took a 79-76 lead entering target score, and traded blows with the BlackJacks before Ahmad ended the game with a scoop layup.

With the win, Niagara earned their second victory in three games over the BlackJacks this season.

Ottawa and Niagara will have two days off to rest before squaring off for the fourth and final time in the regular season on Sunday at the Meridian Centre.

Full broadcast schedule of CEBL Games of the Week on TSN can be found here. All games will also be streamed live internationally on the CEBL’s OTT platform, CEBL+, and on the CEBL Mobile app for iOS and Android devices. 

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 71 percent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps during October. The CEBL season runs from May through August. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.