Davis Jr. Takes Over in Elam Time as River Lions Defeat Nighthawks 101-88
As the Niagara River Lions versus Guelph Nighthawks game went into Elam time, River Lions forward Antonio Davis Jr. took over. Davis Jr. scored eight of his team’s final 10 points as they defeated the Nighthawks 101-88.
Niagara has won three games in a row while Guelph (6-8) has lost five games straight. Davis Jr. finished with 21 points, two assists and two steals but it was a team effort for Niagara. Their offence was efficient in all four quarters.
Daniel Walden-Mullings scored off an offensive rebound to open the scoring for Niagara while Jaylen Babb-Harrison swished two three-pointers for an 8-2 edge. Guelph guard Ahmed Hill responded with a step back three.
Niagara also scored inside as Jordan Tchuente went up against Lucas Nogueira. Babb-Harrison continued to hit from outside. Guelph fought back with a triple by TJ Lall and a driving lineup by Hill but trailed 24-21 after 10 minutes.
Guelph’s Cat Barber finished through contact to cut the lead to one point at the start of the second quarter. They moved the ball around for a Barber three as they took the lead.
The lead went back and forth as both teams shared the ball. Niagara’s Elijah Mitrou-Long showed his range with a couple of threes. The pace picked up as the teams scored in transition.
The River Lions made a run as River Lions guard Khalil Ahmad threw down a dunk to give them a 47-39 lead after two quarters. They kept on scoring at the start of the third quarter as Ahmad drove into the paint. Davis Jr. nailed a three to extend the lead to 57-43.
The Nighthawks matched the River Lions’ offence with crucial baskets. AJ Hess hit a three right after a three Mitrou-Long to keep the gap around 10 points. Hess hit another three to cut the lead to eight.
Nighthawks’ forward Maurice Calloo made an impact in his season debut by being aggressive and attacking the rim. Barber scored off a crossover to cut the deficit to 75-67 at the end of the third quarter.
Nogueria dunked it after an offensive rebound as Guelph stayed in the game by creating second chance opportunities. Lall finished off another one. The River Lions responded with outside shooting with threes by Shawn Occeus and Babb-Harrison to keep their lead in double digits.
Ahmad made key plays down the stretch, hitting a jumper and getting to the foul line as Niagara led 91-78 heading into the Elam Ending.
The home team moved the ball against Guelph’s zone defence as Davis Jr. finished at the rim and hit the ensuing free throw. He added another three and scored a driving layup to win the game.
The River Lions shot 51 per cent from the field and 46 per cent from three. Ahmad led all players with 25 points while Babb-Harrison had 17 and Mitrou-Long had 15 and Occeus had 11.
“Just putting in the work,” Mitrou-Long said of his performance. “There’s going to be times where I’m not going to shoot it best. There’s going to be times where I’m knocking down threes and it’s just consistent working in the gym before practice, before gameday and also my teammates finding me.”
Mitrou-Long noted how he gained confidence from watching Babb-Harrison’s shooting. “He puts the standard up for us,” he noted. “It just showed us if you get the ball, shoot it with confidence and it’s going to go in. If it doesn’t, it’s a good shot.”
The Nighthawks also had balanced scoring with five players with double figures in points. Hill had a team-high 20 points along with four rebounds and two blocks. Barber (19 points, seven assists), Lall (10 points, 11 rebounds), Hess (11 points) and Calloo (14 points) also made an impact. Hill called Calloo’s performance “amazing.” “He came in, brought energy…and I thought everybody brought energy,” he noted.
Hill said the Nighthawks are focused on trying to get better. “We’ve been talking about us for the past three games now,” he added. “We’re just working on us, working on things we need to control – like our rebounding, our turnovers, things like that.”
The River Lions travel to face the Newfoundland Growlers on July 15. The Nighthawks host the Montréal Alliance on July 13 before heading on a Western Canada road trip.
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