River Lions Erase 27-Point Deficit in Thrilling Win Over BlackJacks on Fan Appreciation Nigt
St. Catharines, ON – The Niagara River Lions completed one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history Sunday afternoon, erasing a 27-point deficit to defeat the Ottawa BlackJacks 106-102 on Fan Appreciation Night at the Meridian Centre.
Niagara entered Sunday’s matchup against Ottawa needing a win. They had lost their last two games and sat in fourth place in a tightly contested Eastern Conference. The stakes were even higher with Ottawa holding the head-to-head tiebreaker over Niagara, making Sunday's matchup critical in the race for playoff positioning.
The first quarter was off to a rough start for Niagara as the BlackJacks led for the majority of the quarter and ended the frame in control with a 26-18 lead. Javonte Smart led the way for Ottawa with 6 points and 3 assists. One of the biggest struggles early was the River Lions offense which was held to 18 points on 40% shooting from the field, while committing 5 turnovers in the first. The quarter ended with a deep three from Marko Maletic at the horn which extended the BlackJacks lead to eight.
The BlackJacks blew the game open in the second quarter, scoring 38 points. Ottawa’s shooters were on fire through one half of basketball, shooting 63.9% from the field and 56.2% from three. Marko Maletic was the biggest contributor off the bench for the BlackJacks recording 11 points and 4 rebounds in the half. The BlackJacks ended the half with a 64-42 lead over Niagara, seeming to be in complete control of the game.
The third quarter initially looked like more of the same with Niagara making a couple of sloppy turnovers leading to the BlackJacks extending their lead to 27, their largest of the game. Down 27 points and in danger of seeing the game slip away completely, Niagara finally found the spark it had been searching for. Keonte Kennedy knocked down three three-pointers to start the quarter, while Ahmad sank three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt before drilling a step-back three of his own. Even with this run, Ahmad and the River Lions still had plenty of work to do with a 16-point deficit and five minutes left in the third quarter. Ottawa’s shooting would start to falter and Niagara was ready to capitalize on the opportunity, outscoring the BlackJacks 38-23 in the third and cutting their deficit down to seven points.
Niagara's comeback was fueled on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the River Lions knocked down six of their ten three-point attempts in the third quarter. Defensively, Munis Tutu set the tone with relentless hustle, diving for loose balls, forcing turnovers, and grabbing key rebounds that energized the Meridian Centre crowd.
Niagara River Lions Head Coach Kimbal Mackenzie commented on the group’s improvement heading into the second:
“I think our sense of urgency. We were into the basketball and we were flying around. Sometimes that can make the biggest difference. Our energy picked up, our competitiveness, our willingness to do the tough things defensively. So I think that's what helped us.”
The job wasn’t finished yet as Niagara still had one quarter of basketball to play trailing 87-80. The fourth quarter became a back-and-forth battle as Niagara slowly chipped away at Ottawa's lead without drawing even. Heading into Target Time Khalil Ahmad showed why he’s known as “Mr. Clutch” attacking the rim with ease and scoring 7 points through the first 5 minutes of the final frame. After a Javonte Smart layup with less than four minutes in the fourth quarter and a four point lead the BlackJacks were preparing to intentionally foul and enter Target Time. As Ahmad crossed the timeline the BlackJacks attempted to foul the Niagara star. Ahmad would make a savvy veteran move by going up for a shot before he was fouled, earning a trip to the line and knocking down three free throws to cut Ottawa’s lead to 97-96.
In Target Time, Niagara capitalized on every opportunity, stringing together defensive stops while forcing Ottawa into difficult shots. The River Lions would take a 102-100 lead after a Tutu block which instantly turned into a transition layup. Two possessions later Kennedy would strip Javonte Smart of the ball and throw down a monster slam in transition, blowing the roof off the Meridian Centre as Niagara was now one basket away from winning the game. Following a couple turnovers from both teams Matthew Cleveland would kick his legs out on a three point attempt which would be called as an offensive foul. Ahmad would head to the line and ice the game with two free throws giving Niagara their first win against Ottawa of the season.
Ahmad finished with 31 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals, leading Niagara's remarkable comeback.
After the game, Ahmad credited his mindset: “Just trying to be locked in from the jump, you know, focus on the things that I control, defense, talking to my teammates, et cetera, and then just letting other things fall into place.”
The win marks Niagara’s second 20+ point comeback of the season showcasing the River Lions prowess at finishing games strong. Despite the comeback, Niagara's slow starts remain an area of concern heading into the playoffs. Sunday marks the 14th game of the season in which Niagara has trailed entering half-time which is tied for second most in the CEBL. The River Lions have proven they can compete with anyone in the CEBL, however they still need to prove that they can showcase that level of play from the opening tip.
The victory moves Niagara into third place in the Eastern Conference with a one-game cushion over Ottawa. That separation is significant, as the BlackJacks own the season tiebreaker. With two games remaining, the River Lions now sit just half a game behind the Honey Badgers for second place while Brampton still has two meetings remaining with the league-leading Scarborough Shooting Stars.
Ahmad thinks defense will play an important role in Niagara’s next two games:
“Our big focus is defense, honestly. Like, if we can take care of it on the defensive end, keep teams to under, you know, 80 or something like that we'll put ourselves in a really good position to win any game.”
Kimbal Mackenzie commented on the team’s point of emphasis to close out the season:
“Two wins. I mean, every game is super important at this point, we know that. The emphasis is to continue to get better and to learn each other better going into the playoffs.”
Niagara will close out the regular season with a two-game west coast road trip. The River Lions face the Saskatoon Mamba on Wednesday, July 29 at 9:30 pm before ending the season against the Calgary Surge later that week on Friday, July 31.
For more information, visit www.riverlions.ca or follow on social: @NiagaraRiverLions on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, & LinkedIn and @RiverLions on X.
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