River Lions fall in overtime on the road after losing late lead
After avoiding getting bit by the Rattlers, the Niagara River Lions couldn't make the Stingers buzz off.
While they trailed by four points with a minute remaining in regulation, the host Stingers came back to tie the game and win 118-105 in overtime Friday night in Edmonton.
"We gave ourselves a very good opportunity to win the game," Niagara GM-head coach Victor Raso said.
"Unfortunately, we didn't execute down the stretch, and I think we ran out of gas a bit in overtime."
Guillaume Boucard scored a team-high 24 points and grabbed three rebounds as the River Lions made Canadian Elite Basketball League history for the second time in as many starts.
At Saskatoon on Thursday night, they came back to edge the Saskatchewan Rattlers 99-97 and win the first regular season game played in the fledgling spring-summer league.
The following night Niagara played in the first overtime game.
To say the schedule-makers did the River Lions no favours would be an understatement. Not only did the River Lions start the season with back-to-back games, each time they provided the opposition against teams playing their home openers.
And did we mention in a different time zone, two hours later than what their bodies were used to?
"It was very difficult, but it was a great test for us," Raso said. "Two games where you really have no idea of what that team is going to do, you don't know how those guys are going to jell and the style they are going to play.
"All you can really do is prepare for their individuals."
Against Saskatchewan, the River Lions broke through after settling down and outscored their hosts over the final two quarters for the win.
In the Edmonton game, Niagara took the court at a disadvantage since the Stingers had a chance to see Niagara by watching the game live-streamed from Saskatoon.
"They were prepared for us, and you could see that preparation," Raso said. "We were really good in transition against Saskatchewan, but they made a concerted effort to get home and not let us get easy transition buckets.
"Not knowing that whey were going to do, we adjusted throughout the game. We gave ourselves a great opportunity to win.
The first-year head coach was impressed with the resolve of his players.
"It was a heck of a trip having to play in Saskatchewan on Thursday and fly to Edmonton and play them immediately Friday night in a home opener in which they were super amped up about. The crowd was crazy," he said. "The cards were stacked against us last night (Friday), and with a minute to go, we were in a great position to win the game.
"We just made some mistakes — myself included — and we'll learn from that."
Both the Rattlers and Stingers fed off the energy from enthusiastic fans on their respective home courts.
"We played in front of a raucous crowd both nights, especially in Edmonton in a little bit of a smaller gym (with about 1,500 fans)."
A home-and-home series between the River Lions and Stingers wraps up in a 7 p.m. tipoff Thursday at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
"Once we kind of get on the same page offensively and we start to click defensively, and we do it for an entire game, I really like us," Raso said.
"I know they're really excited for Thursday. That should be fun."
Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk
Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk