New-Look River Lions Storm Back to Stun League-Leading Shooting Stars
By Cole Meyering
St. Catharines, ON – Entering Friday night's matchup, the Niagara River Lions and Scarborough Shooting Stars found themselves at opposite ends of the CEBL standings. Niagara had dropped five straight games to fall to 5-10 and into last place in the Eastern Conference, while Scarborough entered on a four-game winning streak with a league-best 14-2 record—the best start through 16 games in CEBL history.
Niagara also entered the game with a significantly different roster than it had just one week earlier. Curtis Hollis, Donald Carey Jr., JD Muila and Kameron Warrens were no longer with the club, while Kyle Vinales, Munis Tutu and Gorjok Gak all made their River Lions debuts. Nathan Cayo was also unavailable as he awaited the birth of his second child.
The roster turnover only made Niagara’s challenge more difficult against one of the league’s deepest teams. Despite the absences of Charles Bediako and Akoi Yuot, who had departed for NBA Summer League, the Shooting Stars still featured one of the league’s deepest rosters led by MVP candidate Myles Powell, Canadian Player of the Year candidate Frank Mitchell, and Defensive Player of the Year Candidate Kellen Tynes.
Scarborough showed this talent in the first quarter getting out to an early 12-3 lead. Tutu would hit a three for his first points of the season before the Shooting Stars went on a 10-0 run and eventually extended their lead to 24 points with just 1:30 remaining in the quarter. Frank Mitchell and Javan Johnsonn both played a big role in developing this early lead with 10 points each. In the final moments of the frame the River Lions would go on a 6-0 run led by Kyle Vinales, who finished the quarter with seven points. Despite this small run to end the quarter Scarborough remained on top with a 36-18 lead and appeared to be firmly in control.
Despite the deficit, Head Coach Kimbal Mackenzie believed his team's response would define the night.
"Scarborough came out firing. They were hot early, they were making everything. Sometimes that happens. But we had great resolve, and a great response from the group."
During the first quarter, Scarborough guards Myles Powell and Cat Barber had picked up two and three fouls respectively. Powell picked up his third foul less than a minute into the second quarter, and moments later Scarborough’s bench was assessed a technical foul after protesting the call. This early foul trouble provided Niagara with a spark of energy. Khalil Ahmad would sink the free throw and add another five points as part of a 10-2 run to start the second quarter bringing the deficit down to 10 points.
Niagara’s run was capped off by an emphatic dunk by Elijah Lufile, earning a big reaction from the Niagara bench and the home crowd. Vinales returned to the floor and continued to fuel Niagara’s comeback, scoring another 10 points over the final five minutes of the half bringing his total to 17 points on the night. Niagara trailed 52-49 at halftime, having nearly erased Scarborough's 24-point first-quarter advantage.
Making his River Lions debut, Kyle Vinales provided an immediate offensive spark with 17 first-half points.
"The coaches are great. They have a great system and they told me what they wanted from me and I executed," Vinales said. "I'm just trying to fit in where I can."
Niagara carried its second-quarter momentum into the third, continuing to dictate the pace on both ends of the floor. After allowing 36 first-quarter points, Niagara completely changed the game on the defensive end, forcing difficult shots, creating live-ball turnovers and limiting Scarborough's transition opportunities. Early into the third the River Lions tied the game at 57 on another dunk from Lufile. The energy inside Meridian Centre had completely shifted and was as loud as ever. The River Lions soon took their first lead of the game on a step back three from Vinales despite smothering defense from Kellen Tynes. Niagara finished the third quarter having held Scarborough to 33 points over the last two quarters after allowing 36 in the first frame.
Lufile credited the team's defensive focus for changing the momentum.
"Honestly it was just one possession at a time," Lufile said. "Frank Mitchell is a great rebounder, Myles Powell is a great shooter, and we just had to do our job. Our defensive scheme wasn't perfect but we competed and it did the job.”
The fourth quarter featured a series of momentum swings, with neither team able to create separation. Both teams traded tough makes with Myles Powell hitting a big three leading into Target Time. Target Score was set at 98 with Niagara holding a three-point advantage, leaving little margin for error. Elijah Lufile was fouled on Niagara’s first possession, and had the composure to knock down both free throws. Khalil Ahmad stole the ball before the Shooting Stars could cross center court and scored an easy fast break dunk to bring Niagara within five of the Target Score. The teams traded baskets over the next four possessions, moving the score to 96-89. With Niagara just one point away from victory, Ahmad penetrated the lane before dropping the ball off to Jordan Tchuente, who finished with an emphatic dunk, hanging upside down from the rim as the Meridian Centre erupted.
For Vinales, the debut could hardly have gone better.
"I think they said that was the top team in the league and we'd lost a couple games, so I guess you can't really write a better story than that," he said. "That was definitely one of the top three comebacks of my career."
Vinales finished his River Lions debut with 24 points, while Ahmad added 23 points and 7 assists. Lufile recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds, helping Niagara erase a 24-point first-quarter deficit. "It feels good," Lufile said. "Happy, but we're not satisfied yet. We're focused on Sunday now."
The River Lions won't have much time to celebrate as they return to action Sunday afternoon against the Montreal Alliance on CBC Day at Meridian Centre. . The River Lions remain 1.5 games behind Montreal for the conference's final playoff position, making Sunday's contest another pivotal opportunity as the playoff race tightens. "We'll try to get better at the things we didn't do well tonight and keep playing to our strengths," Mackenzie said. "We have a quick turnaround to play Montreal on Sunday."
The Niagara River Lions are one of the founding franchises of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and the league’s reigning back-to-back champions (2024 & 2025). Competing out of the Meridian Centre in downtown St. Catharines, from May to August each season, the River Lions proudly represent the twelve municipalities of the Niagara Region, uniting fans through passion, pride, and purpose. Entering their second decade, the River Lions have earned a reputation for championship-caliber performance and community impact, embodying the strength and spirit of Niagara both on and off the court.
For more information, visit www.riverlions.ca or follow on social: @NiagaraRiverLions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & LinkedIn and @RiverLions on X.
###
Media Contact:
Cole Meyering
Communications Coordinator