River Lions Host Bandits in Battle for Playoff Seeding

The Niagara River Lions host the Fraser Valley Bandits on July 25 at 7 pm ET as both teams battle for playoff position.



The River Lions are trying to catch the Hamilton Honey Badgers for the top seed and a bye to the CEBL Championship semi-finals. If they win, they will have the same record as Hamilton. The Bandits are looking to build upon their recent win against the Ottawa BlackJacks. They are also in the mix to host a playoff game. 

Niagara is coming off an 86-75 home defeat to the Scarborough Shooting Stars on July 17. They played Scarborough close in the first half but the visitors pulled away thanks to their hot shooting in the second half. 

The River Lions welcomed back forward EJ Onu from NBA Summer League. Onu, who leads the league in average blocks (3.4) had two blocks against Scarborough as well as six points and three rebounds. St. Catharines native Abu Kigab also made history as the first Niagara area player to play for the River Lions. He had four points, three rebounds and one steal in his debut. 

It will be interesting to see how Onu and Kigab fit into a deep lineup. With Daniel Walden-Mullings out against Scarborough, forward Antonio Davis Jr. stepped up with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Elijah Mitrou-Long had 18 points and six assists off the bench while Jaylen Babb-Harrison scored 12 points, including shooting four-for-seven from three. 

A key factor in this game is how Fraser Valley will defend Niagara’s deep attack, including their guards Khalil Ahmad and Munis Tutu. For Niagara, perimeter defence will be crucial after the Shooting Stars shot 50 per cent from deep. The Bandits are second in the CEBL in three-point percentage (37.9). 

Some of the Bandits’ shooters to watch for include Shane Gibson (44 per cent from three), Alex Campbell (41), Malcolm Duvivier (39) and Kyle Adnan (39). 

Another matchup to watch for is between the forwards. Onu, Davis Jr. and Alonzo Walker will be up against Thomas Kennedy and James Karnik. Kennedy had 27 points and six rebounds against Ottawa while Karnik had 23 points and nine rebounds. They are up against Niagara, who leads the league in average blocks (4.6). 

Fraser Valley had more rebounds, assists and steals against Ottawa as they snapped a three-game losing streak. They shot 51 per cent from the field as guard Shane Gibson had 25 points, five rebounds and four assists. 

Being efficient offensively will be important as they go up against a River Lions squad that leads the league in average points (89.5) and field goal percentage (46.4). 

In their previous meeting this season in Fraser Valley, Niagara prevailed with a 102-99 victory after outscoring the Bandits 30-25 in the fourth quarter and Elam time. 

Both teams each have three games remaining. Niagara has two at home and one on the road while Fraser Valley has two on the road and one at home. 

Fans will be able to live stream all games including the playoffs on the CEBL’s OTT streaming service CEBL+, the CEBL’s official app, CEBL Mobile for iOS and Android devices, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and Android devices and on NXT Level Sports in the U.S. As part of its playoff coverage, CBC Sports will broadcast the quarterfinal games Sunday, August 7, semifinal games Friday, August 12, and the Championship game on Sunday, August 14. For the complete broadcast and streaming schedule, click here. All times are subject to change. 

The CEBL’s fourth regular season began May 25 and ends August 1. A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL is the largest pro sports league in the country with 10 teams located in six provinces. It has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 71 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us (@cebleague) on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.