Barber’s 28 points and return of Isiaha Mike powers Shooting Stars to 90-84 win over River Lions

By: Dillon White

Cat Barber bounced back with 28 points to help the Scarborough Shooting Stars snap a two-game losing streak and defeat the Niagara River Lions 90-84 on Sunday at Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre. 

After scoring just one point last weekend against Niagara, Barber returned to form in a crucial game for both teams. He went 9-24 from the field, 4-11 from three, 6-8 from the free throw line and secured the victory with the winning bucket. The CEBL MVP candidate added five rebounds and five assists to his stat line. 

“When [target score] comes, it’s my time,” Barber said post-game. “[My teammates] bank on me to make that winning play and that's what I did tonight.”

The River Lions mounted a comeback in the fourth quarter and it appeared they could lead heading into target score time, but Kassius Robertson ignited for Scarborough with a trio of clutch threes. Robertson finished the game with 18 points on 6-17 shooting, with 11 points coming in the fourth quarter. 

“We've been through a lot of battles throughout the season so everybody felt comfortable and understands this is a game of runs, so we felt pretty good going down the stretch,” Scarborough head coach Chris Exilus said. 

The Shooting Stars also received a stellar performance from Isiaha Mike in his 2023 debut after a spectacular run to the championship game with the squad last summer. Mike netted 16 points off the bench on 6-8 shooting from the field and 2-2 from three to go along with four assists and four rebounds. 

Meanwhile, the River Lions came into the game shorthanded. Without EJ Onu and Lloyd Pandi, Edward Ekiyor got the start for Niagara and led the team in scoring with 16 points. Reigning CEBL MVP Khalil Ahmad finished the game with 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and three steals after struggling in the first half. Regular starters Antonio Davis Jr. and Jahvon Blair added 13 points and 10 points respectively. 

“It was an interesting [game] because we had to figure it out as a new group … I thought we played pretty hard,” Niagara head coach Victor Raso said. “We’ve got to build some chemistry now because we're a bit of a different team.” 

Three-point shooting emerged as a major difference in Sunday’s contest. Scarborough buried 15 threes at a 44 per cent rate while Niagara struggled from beyond the arc in the loss, connecting on just seven at 23 per cent. However, the River Lions won the paint battle by outscoring the Shooting Stars 42-28. 

The game opened with a high-scoring quarter that saw both offences flowing freely. Barber scored more in the first quarter than the previous two games combined with 12 points for Scarborough. However, a late triple from TJ Lall gave Niagara a 24-23 edge after 10 minutes. 

The nature of the game shifted from offence to defence in the second quarter. Neither team reached 20 points in the second with field goals hard to come by. The Shooting Stars went on an 8-0 run late in the half to take a five-point lead and forced a Raso timeout. However, a strange tip-in for Niagara took the game to halftime with the River Lions down 40-37.

Niagara shot just 16 per cent from long range after 20 minutes in a half that witnessed eight lead changes. The Shooting Stars shut down Ahmad in the first half, leaving him scoreless. 

However, Ahmad got his first bucket of the night early in the third quarter on the low block. Davis hit a three for Niagara to tie the game, but Scarborough controlled the quarter from there. The Mike and Myck connection led to a three for Kabongo, followed by a huge stepback three from Isiaha Mike to give Scarborough a 10-point lead. Blair drilled a much-needed trifecta for the River Lions before another big bucket for Mike closed the quarter with Scarborough ahead 65-58.

To start the fourth quarter, Ahmad spun for a layup and knocked down a three from the wing to force an Exilus timeout. A transition layup tied the game at 65 and the River Lions stayed hot with a 12-1 run to take a five-point lead shortly before the whistle to enter target score time. However, Robertson caught fire with three straight triples to give the Shooting Stars a four-point lead. 

The chaos continued with a Shawn Occeus three for Niagara to cut it back to one, a reverse from Djuricic, an alley-oop to Mike and a deep ball to Ahmad. Barber finally took the game to target time with a pair of free throws that gave Scarbrough an 81-76 advantage. 

Barber scored five points in target time to power the Shooting Stars to victory, including the game-winning layup. Scarborough improves their record to 8-7 on the season while Niagara drops to 9-7. 

Following Sunday’s game, the Shooting Stars face the Alliance in a home-and-home. The first matchup is slated for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Verdun Auditorium. 

Meanwhile, the River Lions have a crucial home-and-home on the horizon against Ottawa, starting with a visit to TD Place on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. 

All games are available for streaming on TSN+, CEBL+ powered by BetVictor and on the CEBL Mobile app available on 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 per cent 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.