River Lions 2019 Quarter Season Report

Six games into the CEBL’s first season has the Niagara River Lions sitting at 5-1 and the number one seed in the league.

After starting their year splitting a back-to-back in Saskatchewan and Edmonton, the River Lions have won four straight and are undefeated at home.

“The season has been very good so far,” said head coach Victor Raso.

“This is a good group of guys to work with, and we’ve gotten off to a good start. The league is great, and it’s great that high level Canadian players get to come home and play in the summer.”

When looking at the numbers right off the bat, the River Lions defense is what first jumps off the page.

The River Lions have only conceded over 100 points once this year, in an overtime loss against the Edmonton Stingers. They allow a frugal 90.7 points per game, good for first in the CEBL, while only letting their opponents shoot 41.6% from the field and 33.8% from three.

The best example of that suffocating defense came in their home opener against the Edmonton Stingers, in which they held the visitors to only 66 points. The Stingers did not score 20 points in any quarter, and outside of Xavier Moon (26 points) and Jordan Baker (23 points), nobody on the Stingers scored more than five points. The Stingers ended up shooting 33% from the field and finished the game with a whopping 29 turnovers.

“The best part about this team has been the joy they bring to practice every day,” said Raso. “They love to compete which makes coaching them enjoyable. I’m encouraged by our ability to intake a game plan. I have learned that these guys are able to understand what an opposing team does well, and how five guys on the same page can take that away from.”

On the offensive side of things, Niagara leads the CEBL in points per game as well, putting up 103.5 points. Shooting 50.1% from the field, 42.8% from three and having a +12.8-net rating isn’t easy, and yet it is not even the most impressive part of their offense.

The River Lions do not have any player who averages over 17 points per game, and yet have five who average double-figure scoring and eight who average at least eight points per contest. The River Lions egalitarian offensive attack keeps their opponents guessing and lets every player on the floor be a threat.

“This team has shown me the importance of being collaborative with your players,” Raso said about what he’s learned so far this year. “I’ve learned that with this group that through constant conversation, you can gain common ground and create ‘buy-in’ from the players because they feel a sense of ownership, which is exactly what I want from them-to feel like this is their, because it is.”

The River Lions have scored a season-high 108 three consecutive times this season, in wins versus Edmonton, Saskatchewan and Fraser Valley. In those games, the River Lions generated 83 assists (27.7 per game), hit 45 three-pointers (at a 42% clip) and 132 points in the paint (44 per contest), a testament to their ability to find high-percentage shots.

When asked about any difficulties about the early stages, Raso remains steadfast in his approval of his players.

“I haven’t been very discouraged with this group, but I am very aware that finding success early can bring with it a unique set of challenges,” Raso said. “In the second half of the Guelph game, we faced a team that dictated the pace of the game with their physicality, which got us out of our rhythm and tested us as a team. We haven’t been tested physically like that since we played Edmonton in the first game, so I’m excited to see how we respond this week.”

The River Lions next game is Saturday, June 8 at home against the Hamilton Honey Badgers.

The next 10 games will bring some familiarity and comfort for the River Lions, as they play seven of them at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharine’s.

In two games at home, there has been an average attendance of 2,237 people.

If there is one things the River Lions can bank on this season, it’s the constant support of the best fans in the CEBL.

Written by Nicolas Bueno