River Lions win battle for first place improving to 3-0 against Saskatchewan

Trae Bell-Haynes and Dorian Pinson recorded double-doubles helping the Niagara River Lions defeat the Saskatchewan Rattlers 94-83 Friday night at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.

Bell Haynes, with 20 points and 10 rebounds; and Pinson, 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds; were among five River Lions who scored in double digits as the team won its second in a row and improved to a Canadian Elite Baseball League-leading 8-2.

Niagara overcame a 63-61 deficit after three quarters and defeated Saskatchewan for the third time in as many starts thanks to 18 points each from Alex Johnson and Guillaume Payen-Bouchard and 11 from Yohanny Dalembert.

Unlike their first two games against the River Lions, the Rattlers loaded up in defensive transition.

"They forced us to get to the paint instead of allowing us a lot of threes, and they were solid in the half-court. The last time we played them, I felt we were the team that made the bigger adjustment, and we hurt them. Niagara general manager-head coach Victor Raso said. "Today, they made good adjustments, and I thought near the end of the first half, we countered it.

"You start playing teams this many times the games are going to be won on the boards. Who's the most disciplined."

The River Lions out-rebounded the Rattlers 52-41, shot 58.1 per cent from the floor, 25-for-43; and 87.5 per cent from the free-throw line, 14-for-16. They drained 10 of 35 attempts from beyond the three-point arc, finishing the game with a 28.6-per cent efficiency.

Niagara, which remained undefeated at home with the win, received scoring up and down the lineup. The River Lions netted 40 points from the bench, compared to 17 for the Rattlers.

Leading up to the game Niagara focused on loading up against Saskatchewan's top threats and making life difficult for them on the court

"I think we did a really good job. Their main guys weren't comfortable," Raso said. "They never got easy, uncontested looks."

Niagara was "ahead of teams" early in the season because of the veterans in its lineup and how well the "good young guys" started jelling together in training camp.

"But now teams are catching up. They're loading up their rosters," Raso said. "We're going to have a lot more games like this than we are going to have like the first 10."

Though Niagara leads the league at the halfway point of the season winning at a .800 clip, the first-year head coach warned the team couldn't rest on its laurels.

"I panic over everything. I know other people are getting better," he said. "The way I kind of manage the potential complacencies is to remind these guys that we have 'team stuff' and you also have your 'individual development.' That's a big part of why they're here for the summer.

"It's cool we're winning, but you still need to lift weights, you still need to get in the gym."

The players, he said, can't focus solely on wins and losses if they want to get the most out of the experience.

"At the end of the day, you rest on your laurels, you've just gave up a summer of development."

Niagara is back on the court Wednesday hosting the Hamilton Honey Badgers in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Meridian Centre and visits the Edmonton Stingers two nights later.

The River Lions are 1-1 versus the Honey Badgers this year. They won 107-96 at home and lost 107-95 on the road.

Niagara is also seeking to improve to 2-1 versus Edmonton after dropping a 118-105 decision in overtime on the road and winning 108-66 at home a week later.

Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk

Bernd Franke | June 23, 2019 | The St. Catharines Standard