River Lions win third in a row to start season 4-1
The Niagara River Lions jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led the game for all but nine seconds on their way to a 108-87 victory over the Fraser Valley Bandits Friday night at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
Six Niagara players reached double digits in scoring, including three off the bench, as the River Lions extended their Canadian Elite Basketball League winning streak to three games.
"We struggled to find our rhythm in the first half, but stayed the course and we broke through in the second half," head coach Victor Raso said. "Our energy picked up in the second half, which led to more stops on the defensive end and allowed us to get out in transition."
A field goal 5:18 into the second quarter put the Bandits up 36-35 for their only lead of the game. Niagara regained the lead nine seconds later on a three-pointer from Ryan Anderson and remained ahead the rest of the way.
Niagara, 4-1, outrebounded the visitors from Abbotsford, B.C., 43-40 and shot 52 percent from the floor, finishing the game 39-for-75.
Fraser Valley, 0-5, made 30 of 73 attempts for a 41-percent shooting percentage.
Niagara's Nem Mitrovic went 5-for 8 from the beyond the three-point arc and led all scorers with 20 points. His fellow starters, Trae Bell-Haynes and Guillaume Payen-Boucard, collected 16 and 13, respectively.
Pacing the River Lions substitutes in points were Alex Johnson and Anderson, each with 14; and Yohanny Dalembert, 11.
Dorian Pinson and Anderson led Niagara in rebounds with six apiece.
Saturday's schedule in the fledgling pro spring-summer league has the River Lions visiting the Guelph Nighthawks, 2-2, in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Sleeman Centre.
Niagara's next home game is Saturday, June 8, against the Hamilton Honey Badgers. Start time at Meridian Centre is 7 p.m.
Lions lines: Guard Kassius Robertson, 25, has been activated from the River Lions active list. Last season, the Toronto native averaged 12.3 points, two rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 34 games with Medi Bayreuth in the German Bundesliga Basketball League.
Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk
Bernd.Franke@niagaradailies.com
905-225-1624 | @TribSportsDesk