Game Day Writeup: July 27th

Not long after a disappointing home loss, the River Lions are trying to start a new winning streak in Guelph.

The River Lions’ three-game winning streak was broken by the Edmonton Stingers in overtime last night. It was the Stingers’ eighth straight victory and the River Lions’ first loss at home on the season.

The River Lions play their second game of a back-to-back tonight against the reeling Guelph Nighthawks. The Nighthawks currently sit outside of a playoff spot and are hoping for a miracle to catch the four-seed Rattlers.

The River Lions are perfect on the season against the Nighthawks with a 2-0 record. They’ve won once on the road and once at home. Their last game against Guelph was on June 14 at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharine’s.

Although their inaugural season hasn’t gone as planned, the Nighthawks have had some silver linings within the past eight days: former Carleton Raven Connor Wood set a CEBL record with nine three- pointers in the Nighthawks’ loss to the Rattlers on July 20, and the team announced the signing of 6’5” guard Johneil Simpson on July 23.

Roster continuity has been an issue for the Nighthawks this season, as 21 different players have suited up in a Nighthawks uniform this season. The maximum number of players on the roster at a time is 10. They also dealt with a coaching change in the middle of the season, unveiling Raptors 905 assistant coach Charles Kissi as their new bench boss on July 8.

So, no, it has not been the smoothest of rides for the Guelph Nighthawks or their fans. On the bright side, coach Kissi got his first ever win as a CEBL coach on July 18 with a 93-75 win over Saskatchewan.

While the Nighthawks rank second last in points per game on the season (91.8), they shoot the second best three-point percentage (36.8).

The Nighthawks also own the league’s second worst offensive rating (105.1) and the second-worst defensive rating (112.0). Their -6.9-net rating is the worst margin in the CEBL by 4.4 points per 100 possessions.

They own the league’s worst rebounding percentage (47.3), and interestingly enough, the second-worst team in rebounding percentage is the River Lions (48.3).

Rebounding was an issue for Niagara in last night’s game, being outrebounded 57-42 by the Stingers. Rebounding has been a problem for Niagara all season, as they rank second-last in the league in rebounds per game (37.2).

While this may not be an issue tonight against a Guelph team searching for its identity, it will be a point to talk about when Championship Weekend rolls around in late August.

The River Lions have four games left in the first CEBL season, and while the first seed has eluded them last night, they still have a chance if they finish the season strong.

Tip-off is at 7 PM.

By Nicolas Bueno