Nighthawks Take Flight Against River Lions

A coach who won his share of basketball games in St. Catharines has won another one. For the first time, as a member of the visiting team.

Charles Kissi, for five seasons men's head coach at Brock University, left the court at Meridian Centre Thursday night with the W after the Guelph Nighthawks, playing the spoiler role, came back to upset the Niagara River Lions 101-90.

Guelph, already out of contention for the inaugural Canadian Elite Basketball League championship and battling to finish the season out of the basement, improved to 5-12. With the win, the Nighthawks also avoided being swept in the four-game season series with the River Lions, who fell to 13-5 in their final home game of the year.

Niagara closes out the regular season on the road with games against the Fraser Valley Bandits, next Thursday, in Abbotsford, B.C.; and versus the Hamilton Honey Badgers, Wednesday, Aug. 14.

The River Lions are 3-0 against Fraser Valley, and 2-1 versus Hamilton in league play so far this season.

Despite their second straight setback at home after a starting the spring-summer schedule 8-0 at Meridian Centre, Niagara was the first team to qualify for the final four championship weekend taking place Aug. 24-25 in Saskatoon.

Also assured of competing in the one-and-done tournament are the Edmonton Stingers, Hamilton and the host team, the Saskatchewan Rattlers.

On Thursday, the River Lions took a 30-22 lead into the second quarter but were outscored the rest of the way before an announced crowd of 2,512 on Fan Appreciation Night.

Rebounds were 46-42 in favour of the hosts, but Guelph outscored Niagara 31-19 in points off the fast break.

Shooting stats: for the River Lions, field goals, 21-of-49, 42 percent; three-pointers, 9-of-27, 33%; free throws, 21-of-24, 84%; for the Nighthawks, field goals, 21-of-37, 56%; three-pointers, 10-of-33, 30%; free throws, 29-of-35, 82%.

Ryan Anderson, with 22 points; Guillaume Boucard, 16; Sam Muldrow, Dorian Pinson, 14 apiece; and Yohanny Dalembert, 11; scored in double digits for Niagara.

Boucard led the River Lions with a game-high 11 rebounds.

Five Guelph players reached double digits in scoring: Kimbal MacKenzie 25, Olu Famutimi 12, Connor Wood 17, Tyrell Corbin 15, Myles Charvis 12.

Kissi, who left Brock to join the Toronto Raptors organization as an assistant coach on its 905 development team, wasn't the only member of the visiting squad celebrating a hoops homecoming Thursday. Wood, a Guelph native and Nighthawks captain, averaged 9.03 points and made 72.7 percent of his free-throw attempts in 44 games with the River Lions when the team was playing a fall-winter schedule in the National Basketball League of Canada.

Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk

Bernd Franke | August 1, 2019 | The St. Catharines Standard