The Ottawa BlackJacks defeated the Guelph Nighthawks 96-79 on Monday in a solid bounce-back performance after their blowout loss in the season opener.
Playing their second home game of the season at TD Place, the BlackJacks brought new energy to the court after their game against the Niagara River Lions where they were outbattled and outplayed. They lost that game by 25 points.
“We got a good reality check from Niagara and we knew we had to respond to that,” head coach Charles Dubé-Brais said.
Led by Kadre Gray’s second consecutive 20-plus point performance, the BlackJacks improved on all ends of the court, buckling down defensively and generating offence from defence.
“We kept thinking about the last game, how we got punched in the face early,” Gray said, adding that the season opener was a “lesson for the rest of the season.”
Dubé-Brais said the team made the necessary adjustments to improve.
“Overall, we were just tougher. In game one, we allowed Niagara to be more aggressive and that results in turnovers,” Dubé-Brais said.
The BlackJacks gave up only 13 points on turnovers and cracked down by contesting shots, resulting in a meager 19 per cent scoring rate from the three-point line for the Nighthawks. Vigorous transition defence and ball pressure helped keep the momentum in Ottawa’s favour.
“We tried some stuff in the first game and it didn’t work out as much,” Dubé-Brais said. “We wanted more playmaking out there tonight.”
Nick Ward led the BlackJacks with 12 rebounds as he dominated the paint. When a third-quarter push from the Nighthawks threatened Ottawa’s double-digit lead, Ward said he felt his team “picked it up when [they] needed to.”
“Nick is a force and I don’t think there’s a lot of guys like him in the [Canadian Elite Basketball League],” Dubé-Brais said.
On the other side of the court, Cat Barber led the Nighthawks with a 25-point performance. Ahmed Hill, Isaiah Reese and Justin Jackson also scored in the double digits but couldn’t find enough momentum for victory.
“I thought it was our mistakes that led to the post-game outcome,” Jackson said, explaining that a lot of the Nighthawks’ errors were avoidable. Defensively, the team failed to apply consistent pressure, and offensively, plays were rushed, leading to poor decision-making.
Current Carleton guard Alain Louis, a U Sports developmental player for the BlackJacks, also left a mark on the scoresheet, logging over 21 minutes on the court and contributing 11 points.
“The last game, they outrebounded us and they made all the tough plays,” Louis said. “[Dubé-Brais] made sure we understood we have to come out with much better effort.”
Shifting the focus to his own performance, Louis said support from his teammates and coaches have eased his transition to professional basketball.
“I can say it has been easy because my teammates have made it easy for me,” he said, adding that his coach’s strongest advice was “you can be you.”
The improvements Ottawa made between the first game of the season and Monday’s were evidently impactful on the court.
“Above all, it’s just chemistry,” Gray said. “We were communicating together and that’s why we executed so well.”
The BlackJacks will look to continue their momentum and improve to one game over .500 on Thursday when they face the Hamilton Honey Badgers.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
