The Ottawa BlackJacks lost their season opener to the Niagara River Lions 103-78 on Thursday, falling victim to a lack of offensive and defensive execution.
Coming off an eight-day training camp, it was the BlackJack’s first-ever game in Ottawa after the franchise played its inaugural 2020 season in the St. Catharines, Ont. bubble.
“It’s great for Ottawa to finally have a home to play in,” said Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) commissioner Mike Morreale ahead of the heavily-anticipated tip-off, which was the first game of the CEBL season.
Both basketball clubs entered the 2021 season with significant changes to their lineups. The BlackJacks depend on veteran experience, a 180-degree pivot from their young 2020 roster, while the River Lions feature only four returning players from last season’s team.
Before the game, Ottawa head coach Charles Dubé-Brais anticipated a hard-fought, “grit and grind” type of victory.
“I don’t think every team is going to be ready to play their best basketball on game one,” he said, noting the team’s quick transition from training camp to the start of the season.
Dubé-Brais’ foreshadowing words wrote the script for most of the night, as the BlackJacks were dominated on their home court and lost by a 25-point margin.
Despite Ottawa’s Nick Ward scoring first with an agile drive to the basket, the BlackJacks played catchup for the rest of the game as Niagara pushed the pace.
Current Carleton Ravens guard Lloyd Pandi, playing for the River Lions this summer as a developmental U Sports player, showed a strong offensive presence in the second quarter for Niagara as they widened the scoring gap.
Leading 52-44 at halftime, the River Lions’ defence kept Ottawa off the scoreboard for the first five minutes of the third quarter as they continued to dominate.
“They deserved credit. They were physical from the beginning to the end,” Dubé-Brais said.
A lack of offensive execution pervaded the BlackJacks’ performance, while Niagara’s physical play and second-chance scoring wreaked havoc on the defence. Struggling on all ends of the court, the BlackJacks gave up 28 turnover points and 16 points on second-chances.
“We need to do a better job in practice so that guys understand how hard this league is going to be,” Dubé-Brais said.
Dubé-Brais said poor shot-contesting, offensive execution, and physicality and grit were primary weaknesses in the BlackJacks game.
“We just couldn’t get that first domino to fall,” he said, describing the team’s difficulty generating momentum.
Former Laurentian University guard Kadre Gray was the quiet hero for the BlackJacks. Gray put up 25 points with 56 per cent shooting from the field, including four-for-six in three-point attempts and 11-for-14 from the free-throw line.
“I’m just trying to be a leader and help any way I can,” Gray said.
After a statistically impressive performance, the young guard still had the team outcome in mind.
“I never worry about my individual stats. We lost the game,” Gray said.
Gray also said toughness was a big reason for Ottawa’s defeat, saying the squad has plenty to work on.
“We can’t walk in here and just expect to win the game,” he said.
For the River Lions, Jaylen Babb-Harrison took charge with a 30-point outing, attributing his play to strong support from Niagara head coach Victor Raso.
“Coach has been instilling confidence in me from game one and to play aggressive,” he said.
Also contributing to the Niagara offence was Carleton alumni Guillaume Payen-Boucard. The forward, who played for the Ravens from 2011 to 2016, dropped 16 points on his school’s hometown team.
Alongside Payen-Boucard, the Niagara squad featured two current Ravens. Forward Grant Shephard and guard Pandi impacted the scoresheet with a combined 13 points.
Pandi said having familiar teammates in a new pro basketball atmosphere is important.
“It means a lot having people around me that know me and want to see me succeed. Seeing familiar faces really helps,” he said.
The River Lions look to carry their winning momentum to Fraser Valley, where the team will play the Bandits on Tuesday, while the BlackJacks hope to turn the tide with a home win on Monday against the Guelph Nighthawks.
Featured image by Spencer Colby.
