River Lions Outscore Rattlers In The Elam Ending To Secure Second Win Of The Season

The Niagara River Lions (2-2) overcame a six-point deficit heading into the Elam Ending to secure a 72-71 victory against the Saskatchewan Rattlers (0-4) on Sunday afternoon at the SaskTel Centre.

Niagara outscored Saskatchewan 15 to eight in the Elam Ending while a pull-up three-pointer by guard Kassius Robertson was the dagger. 

The game was a back-and-forth affair as both teams were wanting to rebound from a loss and were playing hungry for the win. Each squad played lockdown defence, and this resulted in the lowest scoring game in the CEBL this season.

“We did not play offence very well tonight but we defended really hard and at the end of the day we got four or five stops in a row down the stretch,” said River Lions head coach and general manager Victor Raso. “I just told the guys to have confidence to take the shot when it comes up and Kassius hit a huge one for us.”

Xavier Sneed led the way for the River Lions with 17 points. The six-foot-four guard drained a pair of three-pointers from deep but was effective because of his ability to get into the lane, either finishing at the rim or drawing fouls. The River Lions took only 11 free throw attempts all game, and nine of those appearances at the stripe were courtesy of Sneed. 

Javin DeLaurier recorded the first double-double of his CEBL career with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Jaylen Babb-Harrison also hit some timely three-pointers and finished with 11 points, shooting 60 per cent from beyond the arc. 

While the River Lions were not able to get out in transition as efficiently as in previous games, their defence down the stretch and their ability to stay persistent ultimately allowed the team to lock in the win.

“We just went into the game with the motto, ‘Do whatever it takes,’” said Babb-Harrison. “Whatever it takes to get the win, whatever it takes to go back home 2-2 at .500, we feel like we are in a good spot.”

A bright side in this loss for Saskatchewan was their defensive stops that prevented Niagara from getting out in transition, and forced the River Lions to play in the half-court. The Rattlers’ on-ball pressure led to nine Niagara first half turnovers that converted into 18 Saskatchewan points. 

“It was something we saw against Fraser Valley we had to work on and I think we did a great job today,” said guard Devonte Bandoo. “Small errors cost us at the end of the game. We put our hearts out there and it’s just unfortunate, a guy made a tough shot contested, it happens.”

The Rattlers were leading heading into the Elam Ending but were unable to capitalize late in the game.

“We struggled to get good quality shots in Elam time,” said head coach Chad Jacobson. “I thought we were better the first three and a half quarters and then when it came to Elam we just settled for some real tough shots.”

Saskatchewan started the game with great energy and were playing with a tenacity that showed they were hungry to secure their first win of the season. The team had a trio of steals and outrebounded Niagara in the first half. The Rattlers were solid on the offensive boards generating multiple opportunities per possession but were unable to convert those second chances. The team also had great perimeter ball movement which saw some open looks for the likes of Mambi Diawara and Devonte Bandoo. 

Diawara finished with 19 points and eight rebounds while Bandoo was Rattlers’ top scorer for the second straight game, nearly notching a double-double with 23 points and nine rebounds. Bandoo made some crucial plays for Saskatchewan including a buzzer beater three-pointer to end the first half and running down a loose ball, flying into the Rattlers’ bench to keep possession for his team in the fourth quarter. 

“Our guys battled from start to finish, they competed, they left it all on the floor and like I said it was just the execution down the stretch, a few breaks here, a few breaks there and that game could have been a different outcome,” said coach Jacobson. “I just say keep staying the course, keep working and putting forth that effort and things are going to turn around for us.

Saskatchewan will travel to Edmonton next to take on the Stingers (2-0) at the Expo Centre on July 8 at 9:30 p.m. ET/ 7:30 p.m. local.

The River Lions return to Niagara and welcome in the first-place Fraser Valley Bandits (4-0) on July 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET at the Meridian Centre. 

All CEBL games will be available for live streaming on the CEBL’s new OTT streaming service, CEBL+, cbcsports.ca, the free CBC Gem streaming service, the CBC Sports App for iOS and android devices, and on Twitch.

 

A league created by Canadians for Canadians, the CEBL has the highest percentage of Canadian players of any professional league in the country, with 75 percent of its current rosters being Canadians. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. The only First Division Professional League Partner of Canada Basketball, the CEBL season typically runs from May through August. Head to CEBL.ca for more information or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook & YouTube.